Skylanders: Aemus
by CynderFanForever
Summary: It has not been the same for Cynder since Spyro freed her from Kaos's control. Many of the Skylanders trust her even less, and it all worsens when a demon from her past returns. She is in for the fight of her life as she battles the White Dragon known as Aemus, and neither she nor anyone else know what the outcome will be.
1. The Celebration

**Alright, guys. Here is book four. Please note that this story will have more blood in it than the others, and that some of it will be much darker. This one was a favorite while I thought it up, and I hope you love the story as much as I do. Have a nice day, and God bless!**

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><p><span><strong>Chapter One: The Celebration<strong>

It had been three weeks since it had all happened. Since the fight she didn't want to talk about. The fight that caused some of the Skylanders to trust her even less. While she had gained some trust from others after revealing her backstory, Cynder still felt that she wasn't the most-loved.

She was dealing with it better than she had in the past, but it was still hard despite that. Some of them had made attempts to make her leave, although those had been stopped already by her mate, Spyro, and her friends. And those who had tried it had been warned that if they kept it up, they would be kicked out of the Skylanders themselves. But Cynder still wished to be loved a little more.

The day was hot. To her, that was all she needed. She was unable to deal with cold weather due to the corruption she'd dealt with as both a hatchling and more recently. The corruption had taken all the body heat out of her, and now if she went anywhere that was cold, someone would have to be there to help her warm up. She hated that fact, but it was true.

Looking around, Cynder saw none of the Skylanders who trusted her. All of them seemed to hate her, and that was the problem she had to deal with. She realized it could be worse, but she hoped they didn't try anything on her.

She had to limp due to an injury she'd received during her last fight, which had been in her corrupted form, thanks to Kaos. The only reason she hadn't gotten out of that form was due to a red crystal he'd put around her neck.

In the last moments of the fight the Skylander Slam Bam, who trusted her least of all the Skylanders, had used his Ice Prison attack, hitting her back right leg. The attack had been too powerful, and her leg had broken. At the same time it had taken off the necklace, which Spyro had destroyed, reverting her back to her normal form.

And now here she was, being trusted less by the Skylanders. She still had her friends, though, and she was attempting to make it through with them.

As she moved past the Core of Light, some of those who trusted her the least, including Slam Bam, watched her. At first they hadn't seen her, and then Boomer, a Troll in the Tech Element, nudged Slam Bam and pointed.

"Look who it is, guys," he said quietly so she wouldn't hear them. "What should we do?"

"Well, if we make another attempt to make her leave, we'll be kicked out of the Skylanders, unfortunately," said Slam Bam. "But with that broken leg she has, we can always see who gets close enough to touch it. Warnado, you wanna try it?"

"Sure," Warnado replied. "But what if she electrocutes me when I get there? What if I can't do it fast enough and I'm seen by her?"

"Well, then, that'll be a problem," Slam Bam said. "But who cares? Just go do it. We'll think of a cover story later, don't worry."

Warnado smiled and hurried as fast as he could to Cynder. He did his best to not be heard, although he didn't know for sure if it was working well for him. When he was finally inches, away, Cynder realized someone was behind her and began turning around, but by then Warnado was too close, and he squeezed her broken leg.

Cynder cried out in pain and fell to the ground. Tears escaped her eyes. Looking behind her, she saw Warnado, Slam Bam and the others.

"I hate you all," she said.

"Too bad, freak," Slam Bam said.

"What's going on here?" came Sonic Boom's voice. She was coming their way, and Slam Bam and the others knew they were in deep trouble.

When Sonic Boom saw Cynder on the ground, groaning in pain, and Warnado standing there behind her, she realized what had happened.

Warnado believed it couldn't get worse until he saw Whirlwind not far from his Element Captain. Both Whirlwind and Sonic Boom were part of the Air Element, as was he, and both of them trusted Cynder very much. And when both of them got angry, it didn't always end well for those they were angry at.

"Warnado, I expect better from you!" Sonic Boom told him. "What the heck were you thinking? I've been warning you and the others, and if you keep screwing around like this, you're going to be in big trouble!"

"Why does it matter?" Slam Bam exclaimed. "She's a freak!"

"Slam Bam, shut your freaking mouth, now!" Whirlwind growled. "If you don't, I will shut your freaking mouth for you! Stop being a piece of crap for once!"

Slam Bam knew to not mess with her. He'd learned that not long ago, and he kept it fresh in his mind.

Whirlwind went over to help Cynder up. Sonic Boom glared at Warnado and said to him, "If you don't stop, I will take you out of my Element, and you'll possibly be exiled from us."

She left that spot and went over to Whirlwind and Cynder.

"Are you okay?" Sonic Boom asked.

"No," Cynder said. She dried her tears. "I hate them so much."

"I know," Sonic Boom said. "I'm sorry you're going through this. Let's talk to Spyro about them. He's probably not going to kick them out. The thing is, as big of jerks as they are, they're pivotal members of their Elements. We all are, Captains or not. The only two in the Skylanders who are of higher importance than the rest are the leader and the second-in-command. That'd be you and Spyro. When something happens and Spyro's not around, you'll be leading all these guys, and at that time, they'll learn just how special you truly are."

Cynder stopped and turned around. "Thank you," she said with a smile, and hugged Sonic Boom. Whirlwind decided to join in. "I just need to sleep for now."

"Hey guys," came Spyro's voice from behind her. "Did I miss something?" he asked when he saw that Cynder's eyes were the red they became when she cried.

"Slam Bam and the others played a joke on her," Whirlwind explained. "Warnado squeezed her broken leg."

Spyro felt his anger rise.

"I already talked to him, don't worry," Sonic Boom assured him. "They hopefully won't try anything else for some time."

"If they do, they'll be in deep trouble," Spyro said. "When will they realize they aren't allowed to do that?"

"We don't know," Sonic Boom admitted. "I guess they didn't care about what you told them three weeks ago. I knew there'd be someone like that. But all we need to worry about for now is what's going on tonight."

Spyro smiled.

"What?" Cynder said, confused. "What's happening tonight?"

"Don't you remember, Cyn?" Whirlwind asked. "The celebration for the Skylanders is tonight. They're celebrating us!"

"I guess I forgot," Cynder said. She laughed a little. "So much has been going on, and thanks to that, I forgot all about it."

"Don't worry," Spyro told her. "I'll help you remember next time. Now, do you guys know where Sunburn, Drobot, and Camo are?"

"Sunburn should be back at our treehouse sleeping," Sonic Boom answered. "He likes taking naps before celebrations, remember? It's a guy thing."

"Camo's down at the beach," Whirlwind said. "Drobot and Flashwing are together by the treehouses."

"Okay. Well, I know Stealth Elf is in the healing tent. Trigger Happy and Gill Grunt are probably with Hex. For some reason, the three of them get along together real well. It surprises me, but it works."

"That's good," Cynder said. "So, are there dates or something tonight?"

"Yes, there are," Spyro said. "Would you like to be mine?"

"I would be delighted," she said. "Anything to get my mind off this crap today. What time does it start?"

"I think right at six. Not sure when it ends, though," Sonic Boom told her.

"Alright. I'll be seeing you guys there," Cynder said, and flew off. It was easier for her to fly than it was to walk, as her broken leg had proven itself to be an obstacle.

"It seems she's not taking it all too hard," Whirlwind acknowledged.

"No, she's not," Spyro said. "That's what I'm glad about. She doesn't need to be worrying right now."

Cynder soon found herself in the row of treehouses. In the middle of the row were two Skylanders that now trusted Cynder and that Cynder trusted back: Drobot and Flashwing.

Drobot was a Dragon who, at a young age, had put robotic machinery on his body that helped to protect him during some battles. When he'd first found out that Cynder had once been corrupted, he'd decided to hate her. But after learning of her complete backstory, he'd decided to finally trust her and become a great friend.

Flashwing was a Dragoness made of gems who had been brought to the Skylanders after the Earth Element Captain Bash had wished upon a shooting star. The shooting star had landed, and she'd appeared from it. She'd been dealing with mixed ideas about Cynder for a while, but like Drobot, after learning of her backstory, she'd decided to trust her and soon became one of Cynder's greatest friends. That was something that made Cynder smile whenever she thought of it.

When the two of them saw Cynder, they smiled at her.

"Hey Cyn," Flashwing greeted. "How's it going?"

"Good," Cynder said. "Have you heard of the celebration tonight? I mean, you probably have, I just forgot about it."

"Yes, we remembered. Drobot and I were planning to go as dates, actually," Flashwing said.

"Really?" Cynder exclaimed. "That's great! But I thought you were in a relationship with Bash?"

"Is that what you've heard?" Flashwing asked. "Of course he'd say that. I never truly had feelings for him. I could have had them, but with the way he acted after learning of your backstory and all that, I decided it was a lost cause."

"Oh," Cynder said softly. "Well, I'm going to go get ready."

"Cynder," Drobot called as she prepared to fly up to the balcony. Cynder looked at him. "Did Slam Bam and the others attempt to hurt you today?"

"How can you tell?" Cynder inquired.

"By your eyes," he answered. "They're the same red as most would be if someone was crying."

Cynder sighed. "Yes, they attempted to hurt me, and they sort of succeeded. Slam Bam made Warnado squeeze my broken leg, and it hurt a lot."

"What jerks!" Flashwing exclaimed.

"They were told off by Sonic Boom and Whirlwind, though, so don't worry about doing it yourselves," Cynder told them. "I just wish they'd stop."

"Don't worry," Drobot said. "We'll keep a close eye on them tonight. If they dare to mess with you, they'll be sorry."

"Thanks, guys," Cynder said. She opened her wings and flew up to the balcony.

She got low to the floor, despite some of the pain in her leg, and looked under the bed for a small case. Taking it out, she opened it and found the sapphire necklace she loved so much. While she'd lost her taste for most necklaces because of the red crystal necklace used to keep her corrupted, she knew she would never stop loving the necklace given to her by Sonic Boom for the day she and Spyro had become mates for life. The sapphire, she knew and had been told, was the same color as her eyes, and brought more light to them. Remembering that ceremony brought happy tears to her eyes.

In the same case had been the bracers and choker that had no spikes on them, as she'd felt those that did wouldn't be right for the ceremony. But now, those with the spikes were in the case. She'd begun wearing the ones without, as they were more comfortable and made it easier with her broken leg. It also helped if she fell asleep while still wearing them.

Taking out the sapphire necklace, she held it up for a minute and put it on. It helped her to feel better. The memory of Slam Bam and the others hurting her was now leaving her mind.

All that was left on it was the thought of her friends and of Spyro. She was ready for tonight to be amazing, and she believed no one could stop that.

She was finally done being ready for the celebration. Remembering all those in the past, she remembered how many inhabitants would be coming to celebrate alongside the Skylanders. She just hoped none of them asked too many questions. As she thought, if they did, someone would hopefully do something about it. She didn't want to have to feel anymore pain. And she knew none of her friends wanted her to feel that way either.

As she left the treehouse, she found Sonic Boom and Flashwing waiting for her. Both of them were grinning big. Their eyes were lit up.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Nothing," Flashwing said.

"Just admiring how beautiful you are," Sonic Boom explained. "How are you feeling now?"

"Great. I'm ready for tonight," Cynder said. "I don't care what happens. No matter what anyone says about me, I'm going to enjoy it all."

"That's the spirit!" Flashwing told her. "I hope you have the time of your life tonight. You really deserve it."

"She's right, Cyn," Sonic Boom said. "I think that, sooner or later, we should just take some time off and hang out with each other. Get Whirlwind and Hex, and find somewhere nice and sunny."

"Well, being somewhere sunny, like a beach, isn't always where I would wish to be," came Hex's voice. She floated eerily from the shadows, although the other three were too used to it to care, especially Cynder.

"Hey Hex," Cynder greeted. "Do you have a date?"

"No, of course not," Hex said. "How's your leg?"

"It's good for now," Cynder said. "But what matters most tonight is us having fun. That's all we need. Now, where's Whirlwind?"

"Most likely with Camo. You know how they are. Despite the fact we count them as mates, and that they count each other as mates, they haven't had the official ceremony just yet. I'm not sure, but I think they said it'll be next week," Sonic Boom explained. "I can't wait."

"Well, at least there will be three sets of mates now: Spyro and I, you and Sunburn, and Whirlwind and Camo," Cynder said. "Do you think you and Drobot will ever become mates, Flashwing?"

Flashwing's eyes widened. "What?" she exclaimed. "You're joking, right?"

"No, we're not," Sonic Boom pushed on. She wanted to know herself it would ever happen between the two of them.

"Well, I'm not sure, okay?" Flashwing said, laughing. "You know how things are. Sometimes these things don't work out until the end."

It was with the ending of the conversation that the four of them realized they'd arrived in the location of the party. It would all be done near the Core, and although the four of them knew it was where the last battle had taken place, they weren't going to care. All they were wanting was a night to spend with friends, and in Cynder and Sonic Boom's cases, as well as Whirlwind's, those they loved.

Spyro was already there, talking to Cali.

When Cali saw Cynder, she said, "I'll talk to you later," and then left. Spyro was left standing there, and just turned to where the others stood. When he saw Cynder, his jaw dropped.

"Wow," he said. "You're definitely the most beautiful Dragoness I've ever seen."

"Why, thank you," Cynder said. "I just wanted to look real good for you tonight. Did I do real well?"

"Most certainly," he replied. They hugged one another, leaving the others to smile and love the moment.

Sunburn, Whirlwind, Drobot, and Camo soon arrived, and just as they did so, the celebration began.

Cynder stayed mostly with Spyro, Sonic Boom and Sunburn for most of the celebration, as the others had gone off to do different things.

"Hey Cyn," Spyro said a few hours after the celebration had begun, "how's it feel to be doing this again?"

"Great," she said, noticing some of the Mabu running past her. One of them was named Quigley, who, for some reason, had asked many weird questions to her and the other Skylanders the year before. "I wish it could always last this way."

"So do I," he said.

He reached in for a kiss, which she returned. But before their lips touched, both noticed a disturbance near the Core. There was now a large white cloud there, and it was moving.

Soon something began to materialize within it. Neither Cynder nor Spyro understood what it was. And neither of them truly wished to know.

"What is that?" they heard Sonic Boom say.

And then a large White Dragon appeared. Their eyes were a dark gray, and their skin was covered in what seemed to be pieces of Ice. That meant they were an Ice Dragon. But no one could tell if they were male or female or friend or foe.

Everything had gone silent. No one was talking.

And then the Dragon spoke. Their gaze was upon Cynder.

"Long time, no see, Cynder," they said, the voice a male's. "I was wondering where you'd made a home, and truthfully, when I learned you'd become a Skylander, I was utterly amazed. I couldn't believe it was true. But that doesn't matter now. What matters is that I can get my revenge at last." He smiled in an evil way.

Cynder was not moving. Her expression was that of great fear, and now Spyro wondered why that was. Who was this Dragon in front of them? And how did he know Cynder?

But before he could ask his questions, the Dragon released an Ice attack, sending shards of Ice everywhere. Spyro jumped in front of Cynder to protect her and returned the favor with Fire.

The Dragon was stronger than Spyro, but when he decided he would keep attacking until Spyro gave out, he saw the other Skylanders coming in to protect Cynder. He realized he was outnumbered, and that he would have to wait and try again soon.

He stopped the Ice attack, with Spyro stopping his Fire attack, and swore, "We'll meet again."

He was gone in a swirl of Ice.

Spyro was panting a little from the small duel. He had questions for Cynder, but knew to be careful with her when he asked them.

"Spyro," he heard her say softly behind him. He turned around to look at her, and that was when his eyes widened.

A shard of Ice was protruding from her side, near her chest, and suddenly her face developed a blue hue to it.

Sonic Boom and the others didn't know what to do. She touched the shard gingerly, grasped it, and pulled it out. It was not large, fortunately. Some of Cynder's blood was on it.

"Are you okay?" Camo asked.

But then Cynder fell to the ground. She was still breathing, much to Spyro's relief, but then suddenly she began moving around on the ground uncontrollably. Spyro realized what was happening: she was having a seizure due to the shard having entered into her body.

"Someone, help!" Whirlwind exclaimed. "She's seizing! Please, someone!"

Cali came quickly and administered something to her. Cynder stopped seizing, but Spyro realized her breathing was not normal.

He was crying, unable to believe that his mate had almost died.

"We need to get her to the medical tent!" Spyro told the others. "Stealth Elf, where are you?"

"I'm here," she said, coming out of the crowd.

"Pick her up, but be careful," he said. "We need to get to the medical tent and warm her up. Hurry!"

As he and the others followed Stealth Elf, Spyro wondered why it had all happened in the first place.


	2. Pain of the Past

**In response to a fan question, if any of you wonder why Spyro does not go into his corrupted form (Dark Spyro), it is because he has no control of it, and because he does not wish to hurt Cynder. This is because Spyro and Cynder are scared of one another's corrupted form, and especially because of the past few events in _The Darkest Hour _and _Savior Rising_.**

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><p><span><strong>Chapter Two: Pain of the Past<strong>

Spyro couldn't believe what had happened. It all seemed too unreal. Though he'd felt this way before, now it was in a way that hurt him when he thought of it.

The White Dragon had arrived, and he and Cynder had obviously known one another. But she'd seemed scared, while the White Dragon only wanted to kill her.

Some of it didn't completely make sense as he thought of it a little more. Though he attempted to think it through, nothing came, much to his disappointment. He wanted to know what was going on, but knew he would most likely have to wait for that.

Sonic Boom and Sunburn were on either side of him. The others were behind them, including Stealth Elf, Trigger Happy, and Gill Grunt. All of them were completely shocked.

"Why is this happening?" Spyro mumbled to himself. "I've been told things happen for a reason, but none of this makes any sense! I mean, I already knew there were some under Cynder when she was first corrupted, but I don't know if that's the case with this."

"Well, all we need to do is wait," Sonic Boom said. "Hopefully she'll wake up soon, and when she does, we can ask her who this mysterious Dragon is. Of course, we need to make sure we don't bombard her with questions. If we want her to rest, that's not the way to help her with it."

While the last part was meant as a joke, Spyro didn't take it in such a way. He only wanted Cynder to wake up. She was on the bed, covered in a warm blanket. She was using a breathing device, as the shard of Ice had begun to attack the vital organs in her body, including her heart and her lungs. As Spyro thought of that, he cringed, unable to take it.

"Will she be okay?" Flashwing asked. She had taken it the hardest, as seeing one of her friends come so close to death was something she'd hoped to never see as a Skylander.

"I'm not sure," Spyro admitted. "I hope so."

He saw Cali enter the room and knew it was time to talk about Cynder, to make sure she was understanding of her. He knew what the last battle had done to her trust, but now he wished to renew it.

"Cali," he said.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Do you still have trust in Cynder at all?" When he'd finished asking the question, she seemed to tense up.

"Why are you asking me this?"

"Because I've seen how you don't want to be near her. Did the last fight get to you in a way?"

"Yes," Cali finally said. "It was hard for me to get past that. I know what you said, but when I think of Cynder, I wouldn't have thought of that monster. She's too great of a friend. When I think of that monster, it hurts me to think it's her."

Spyro nodded, understanding.

Suddenly Cynder began stirring. Spyro hurried over to her side and watched carefully.

Slowly she opened her eyes. When she saw Spyro and the others and realized she was using a breathing device, she asked, "What happened? Where am I?"

"It's okay, Cyn," Spyro assured her. "You're fine."

"The last thing I remember is the pain, and…" Her eyes widened as she remembered the reason for her pain. "Oh no."

"What is it?" Spyro asked.

"I know who attacked me," she said. "I can't believe it. I never thought I'd see him again."

"Who was it?" Flashwing asked.

"His name is Aemus. He's a monster. I hate remembering my past, but he was under me when I was corrupted. But unlike me, he's not corrupted. He joined Malefor's army willingly," Cynder explained. "He was thought dead by many of us. But now he's returned, and I guess he wants revenge on me."

"Why did you never tell us of him?" Spyro inquired.

"Because I couldn't remember, okay?" Cynder snapped. Tears began to flow from her eyes. "I just couldn't remember."

Spyro realized she'd thought he was angry at her. He found that it was not a question he should have asked. It was one that seemed to be more confrontational. He felt sorry for that.

"I'm sorry, Cyn," he apologized. "I didn't mean it like that. You know how everything is, how all our emotions are running high due to the past few events. I wasn't trying to confront you."

"I understand, Spyro, and I'm sorry, too," Cynder said. "It's just hard right now. To think that Aemus has returned and that he's trying to kill me makes it all so much harder. I never thought I'd have to deal with this. And now that it's all coming, I feel like I'm being attacked."

"You're not being attacked, Cynder," Sonic Boom said. "You're loved by all of us, both as a sister by us, and as a mate by Spyro. I know what pain you've gone through, but you just need to keep your head up. Maybe this will end sooner than you think."

"Thanks." Cynder looked back to Spyro. "What happened after I was attacked? I remember being hit by the Ice shard, and then all went black."

Spyro didn't want to say it. It hurt him just to think of it.

"You fell to the ground, and as much as I hate to say it, you began to have a seizure. You weren't breathing right, either. The Ice almost destroyed your lungs and almost killed you."

Spyro was now crying, the thought of almost losing his mate too much for him to handle.

Hearing this, Cynder couldn't believe it. It was almost too hard for her to bear. But what she realized is that she had not died, thanks to her friends. That was something that cheered her up a small amount. But after hearing Spyro's explanation of what happened, she was nearly distraught. She felt as if she wanted to hide.

"I can't believe this," she said. "When he was thought dead, almost everyone knew for sure, because it was near a volcano that erupted. He was supposedly killed by the lava and the fire. It was something that everyone believed, because Ice cannot survive Fire. But somehow, he lived, and now he's come back to haunt me. I'm not sure what to do."

"There's one thing I know for sure," Sunburn said. "When I saw him preparing to attack you, he had pure hatred and malice in his eyes. He couldn't stand seeing you in your normal form. Some of his anger is resonating from the fact that you're not who he once knew and followed. While it's different, it reminds me of Malefor. When he saw you'd been returned to normal, he was angry, almost the same way as this guy was tonight. What's his name again?"

"Aemus," Flashwing reminded him.

"I'm guessing he learned I'm not a follower of Malefor anymore. I wish everything in my life was simpler."

"Well, what you need is to sleep, Cynder," Drobot told her. "That's what's helped more than most things, isn't it?"

"I do need sleep," Cynder said. "I've been getting it, at least. But after tonight, I need it even more. I don't know what's going on. I want this all to end, but all these demons are coming back to haunt me. I want it to stop already! Why can't I have a normal life? Why is it I have to deal with all this crap?"

Any answers her friends had for her were stopped from being told by Cali, who came into the tent and told Cynder, "You can take that off," referring to the breathing device. "You don't need it anymore. All your organs' functions have returned to normal, including your heart and lungs. Those are what matter more than anything."

Cynder nodded and took it off. She felt good as she breathed normally. "So am I able to leave?" she asked.

Cali nodded. "Be careful, all of you," she warned. "We have to set up more defenses to keep that Dragon out. If he is able to enter back in, then all our lives will become endangered. I'm sure none of you want that."

Cynder slowly jumped down from the infirmary bed. She hugged Spyro, happy she could see his face again. She remembered what had happened after being struck by the Ice shard. She couldn't and didn't want to think that Spyro had almost lost her.

"I wish everything would become normal," she whispered to Spyro. "That I'd never seen Malefor or Aemus. I know that if it hadn't been for some of these events, I would have never met you, but I don't want to have to deal with this!"

"I know you don't, and you don't have to," Spyro said.

"Is that so?" she asked him. "Then tell me, what will I do about Aemus when he comes back and attempts to kill me again? He's a formidable opponent to me, because he controls Ice. I can't be struck by another Ice shard. If I do, I'm sure I'll die! I have no body heat left, Spyro! You of all people should know that! I don't want to live a life like this! Despite all the friends I've met along the way and all the great things I've done with you, I want to just live a normal life!"

She broke down and began sobbing. It hurt all her friends to see her in such a way. She was so much more powerful, and to see that something had gotten to her so much made them sad.

Spyro draped a wing over her. He looked around him and realized they were by the Core. It reminded him of the night he'd found her there, the night after he'd saved her from Malefor. She'd been crying like this that night, as well.

"Cynder, please, I'm trying to help you," he whispered to her. "You are the love of my life, and I know how you feel. We've both gone through this before. You need to remember you're not alone when it comes to these problems. You have Hex, you have Sonic Boom and Sunburn…and you have me. Allow us to help you through this. We will keep you safe. I don't want to lose you. If you allow us to help you, then these problems can all go away."

"Spyro, I don't know what to do," she admitted honestly. "My past keeps coming back up, and when it does, it hurts. I want to stop it from happening so badly, but it won't stop ever! I know I have you to help me, but none of you have gone through completely as much as I have. I never even had a childhood, unlike all of you. I've dreamt of that, but it's never worked. Now it seems to me that my dreams will never come true. Few ever have. The only dream that's come true is being with you, but when it comes to me wanting to redeem myself, that path is blocked by those here who hate me and distrust me. I can't take it. It all hurts so much."

"Cyn, you need to remember that I've gone through some of this," Spyro said. "When I grew, I learned that I didn't completely belong. I found the Dragon Realms, yes, and although I was accepted well, I felt left out, too. Just like you have. I'm someone who understands you better than anyone. I'm not letting you go."

"Spyro, please, just stop," Cynder told him. "I can't take it anymore. As much as I love you, due to these events, I'm still feeling like I mean nothing. Nothing anyone says can help me. Nothing. I feel like nothing. And it's all true, I'm sure. I'll never be someone others can understand. I'll just be some freak forever. I don't even want to be in the Skylanders anymore."

Spyro couldn't believe what he was hearing. He knew he had one more chance before she went into a depression.

He knew that was what would happen if he didn't do something soon. And he didn't want that to happen.

"Cynder, if you leave, then I'm coming after you. I'll follow until the end of time. I believe in you. More than anyone, perhaps. If you haven't noticed, all those who are here with us trust you a lot. They love you, and I love you. No matter what happens, I'll be there by your side. I need to be there. One way you can know that I won't stop being there for you is the fact that I gave up all my powers for you. When Malefor put you under all that torture, under his evil control, I gave up everything just to save you. And I'll do it again if it means that I will save you and protect you from all that comes your way. I can't leave you alone, because I love you too much to ever have that happen. No matter what comes forward in the future, I'll protect you to the best of my ability. It will be all right. You have no reason to worry about me leaving you, because I never will. I'll give my life to save you. Even when it seems dim and dark, I'll be there to light the way, to give you as much hope as I can. And you know why that is? Because I love you more than anything in the universe, and my love for you will never end."

Cynder looked up at her mate and smiled at him. Her eyes were teary, but she didn't have the same fear and sorrow in her eyes as before. Instead she had glowing happiness. That was what happened when Cynder felt loved.

She got back to her feet and made her way with him to the treehouse they shared. The others were still with them. They were all feeling sorry for Cynder and what she'd gone through.

They were all wanting to be there by her side no matter what happened. They were ready to come to her defense when the time came and to die for her if the need be.

They all loved her like a sister and understood her well.

Spyro looked over to her and draped his wing over her again. He'd known for a long time that was something that made Cynder feel safe.

"I wonder where the others went," Sonic Boom said. "Most of them probably decided to leave after she was hurt."

"It doesn't matter anymore," Spyro told her. "What matters is that everything's fine for now. We just need to be careful in the future."

"You're right," Sunburn said.

"What do you mean?" Cynder asked. "If you mean being a bodyguard for me, please don't. I don't need one."

"No matter what, you're going to have me by your side," Spyro told her. "So technically, you already have one."

Cynder laughed a little. When she realized that she had, she seemed a little surprised. Spyro wasn't though.

He'd been hoping she'd laugh soon. He loved hearing it, and believed that without it, his life wouldn't have as much joy as it did now.

"I think we're going to bed now," Spyro told the others. "After tonight, we need it. And tomorrow, we need to be sure we find a way to keep intruders like Aemus out of here. We can't have another incident like that happen again."

He and Cynder opened their wings and flew off to their treehouse. When they were out of range, Sonic Boom turned to Sunburn.

"I'm scared for Cynder," she said.

"So am I," he told her. "We need to keep her safe."

At the same time in the treehouse, Cynder curled up next to Spyro, who held her close.

"I still feel cold," she said.

"That's why I'm keeping you close," Spyro told her. He kissed her right cheek softly.

"Goodnight," she whispered.

"Goodnight," he whispered back. Minutes later, after she'd fallen asleep, Spyro looked at her and said softly, "I'm not letting you go."


	3. Trust in Friends

**Chapter Three: Trust in Friends**

As Cynder woke, she thought of all the past events. Everything that had happened recently was still affecting her more than she wanted. Especially now that Aemus had returned from somewhere in her past. It hurt a lot.

_Will my life ever be simple?_ she thought. _Probably not. That__'__s my curse._ She looked to Spyro and smiled. _At least I have someone who won__'__t leave my side no matter what. Of course, there__'__s Sonic Boom and them, but Spyro__'__s the one who won__'__t leave me no matter what. And that__'__s why we__'__re mates. That__'__s the reason I love him so much, and why he loves me so much: because neither of us will leave each other, no matter what it is that happens._

Spyro stirred and opened his amethyst eyes. When he saw Cynder, he smiled.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"Better," she replied. "I'm still a little shaken over everything, of course. But I'm doing alright. I guess it could be worse, right?"

"It could be," he said, "but I don't want that happening, of course. You're too important to me, and I need to make sure nothing more happens to you."

"Let's just get our minds off that for now," Cynder said. "Let's get our minds to something better-ow." She felt pain in her back right leg, realizing she'd moved it quickly, and as it was broken, it was painful. "Sorry about that. I'm still dealing with my leg, you know?"

"Yeah, I need to talk to Slam Bam about that. He shouldn't have done that to you," Spyro said. "He didn't know it was you, of course…"

"But that doesn't matter," Cynder reminded him. "He hates me anyway. He's been making a joke about it, remember? How he made Warnado squeeze my leg? You weren't there, but it wasn't right. He should have known better. I mean, I am the second-in-command of the Skylanders. He knows there's the possibility I could kick him out. With your permission, of course."

"That's true, but even if you do that, he'll likely come back somehow. We just need to wait. Maybe things will get better when it comes to that."

"I hope so…"

Spyro kissed her. When he finished, he said, "Let's go down there and find the others. If they're awake, we can do something. Okay?"

"Good idea."

She grunted as she got up, the pain in her leg coming back a little. Suddenly she felt cold, and she shivered, unable to take it.

"Hey, you okay?" Spyro asked her in a concerned tone of voice.

"Yes," Cynder lied. "It's just—I think I might still be recovering from that Ice shard. My body's not made for that, you know? Or at least, it isn't now. I wonder how things might have been if I hadn't been corrupted. When I think of all this, I feel a pang of pain and fear deep down inside, because I don't want to have to think of where I'd be without you or any of the others. It's because of you that I'm even here, and without you, I'd have nothing to live for. I just—"

She was cut off as Spyro kissed her and pressed his forehead against hers.

"You don't to need to be scared, Cyn," he told her. "We all have our fears, and I know how badly a lot of this has affected you, but you have those who love and care about you. We will help you. I've been telling you this a whole lot, and I know that it's hard and you don't want to keep listening to me, but—"

Cynder cut him off this time. She smiled and nuzzled up against him. She knew he was right.

"Spyro, I do want to keep listening to you, because every time you tell me something, it always helps," she told him softly. "It's one of those kinds of things. It's hard, because I have to deal with the demons in my past. It all started with Deathmatch, of course. And then it went on to Malefor, and now we're here with Aemus. As long as you're near me, and as long as you help me, I know I'll get through this. There's nothing and no one that could ever tell me otherwise." She kissed him again.

Cynder saw Sonic Boom and Sunburn near the Core. Drobot and Flashwing weren't too far away. They were both conversing about something. When they saw Spyro and Cynder, they both stopped speaking. They both did their best to smile at Spyro and Cynder, but Cynder could tell it was hard. She guessed it had to do with all that had happened. She wasn't surprised. Everything was still hard for her. But she had her friends and her mate. That was all she needed. She kept telling herself that, trying to make it all go by quicker.

"So, have you remembered anything?" Sonic Boom asked them. "Have you remembered anything new about this White Dragon? Aemus, I mean."

"No," Cynder replied. "I don't really want to remember him too much. I know it's vital to do so, but I don't feel like I want to. It's hard for me, know what I mean? I don't want to have to deal with such an evil creature all over again." She swallowed hard. "It hurts, you know. To think I still have someone hunting me, wanting to kill me. I'm used to Kaos, but when it comes to a demon in your past that you thought to be dead, it's not easy."

"Well, you can keep trusting us when it comes to this," came Camo's voice from behind her. "If you need us to, we can try to learn more about this guy."

"Can we just try to not talk about Aemus for today?" Cynder snapped. "I'm sorry, but I just don't want to have to deal with it all. It kind of hurts my head to think about him. My throat feels like it's being constricted when I speak his name."

"Oh," Whirlwind said, coming into her line of vision. "We're sorry, Cyn. We really didn't mean to do that. We were just trying to help."

"I know, and I thank you all, but sometimes the help I get doesn't always work. I feel different emotions all the time," Cynder explained. "You see, there are parts of me that I don't have control over. When it comes to me being corrupted, there is a part of my mind that gives into it. I try to put that part of me back, but the past few times, it really hasn't helped. That's the worst problem I've had to deal with. At least, with my mind, it is. With the other things in my life, I've dealt with a whole lot worse. I guess the best thing to do is keep hoping that there will be a breakthrough for me. I would really appreciate one right about now. Thanks for always being by my side, guys."

"No problem," said Flashwing. We need to keep by our friends when they are in need. Just saying that reminds me of the speech Spyro gave just before our fight at Dragon's Peak. He told you about that fight, right?" Cynder nodded. "Well, just before we went to fight Kaos, Vathek, and their armies, Spyro gave this really cool speech. I thought a lot of it really rang true. I mean, that's what I think. I know some people have differing opinions on this kind of stuff."

"No, you're right," Sonic Boom told her. "Spyro's speech gave us a lot of hope that night, Cyn. I wish you could have been there to hear it. When we were in battle against those armies, we never gave up hope that we would win. Yes, there were some injuries along the way, but what fight doesn't have some sort of an injury? It seems like no one can get away without one. But back to what I was saying. The speech Spyro gave…actually, it might be better if you said it yourself, Spyro."

Spyro smiled. He turned to Cynder. "'Even in the darkest of times, there is always hope. But sometimes fear clouds our vision. Sometimes our strength gives out. And yet sometimes, when all seems lost, a light shines through the darkness, and even the smallest amount of courage can turn the tides of war.' After I gave them that quote, they all cheered. It's a quote that gives me hope, and it's one that gave them hope." He gestured to their friends around them. "I know this is already a rough time, but it is best that you remember that quote. It will help you when you most need it. I'll do my best to help you remember it, of course." He smiled. "Now come on. I think we've had enough of a talk about this. I think we need to do something that doesn't require sadness. We have a lot to do around here, after all. Now let's go and do it."

Throughout the day Cynder couldn't help but think of Aemus. She couldn't get the White Dragon out of her head, for some odd reason. She kept remembering him. His appearance…his eyes…his words…it all hurt her still. She tried to keep her mind on what was right there in front of her.

But she couldn't do it.

He kept coming back to haunt her, like some forbidden demon. Perspiration dripped off the sides of her face. It ran profusely.

_What is happening to me? _she thought. _Is this some kind of test? And if so, why is it that I can__'__t get over it? It hurts so freaking much! I need to forget Aemus, and I want to, but it__'__s almost like I can__'__t. He keeps coming back into my mind every time. I really need help, but who can I turn to? Spyro__'__s a good friend, and a good mate, but sometimes, I just need someone else. Maybe one of the new friends I have, like Drobot or Flashwing. They both seem like they wish to help me, and I want them to. I__'__ll find some way. I__'__ll find a way to get through this._

She found herself being stared at by the others. They seemed concerned for her still.

"Are you okay, Cyn?" Sonic Boom asked. "You seem to be sweating quite profusely right now. Do you need to just sit down and cool off?"

"No, I'm fine, Sonic Boom," Cynder lied. "I just need…" She sighed. "I need help. I need someone who can help me through everything that's going on in my life. I trust you all. Of course, all those I trust are the ones who trust me back, so that's you guys. Can any of you help me? I guess you could call it therapy, but it's not exactly the same."

"We understand," Flashwing told her. "I know how I can help. I did something like this while in another city. They kept coming to me a lot. Of course, some of the visitors seemed to only want to see me to look at the gems I'm made of, but there were some I was able to help a lot. And of course, you have Hex and Sonic Boom."

"I know Hex can help me, but I want to give her and Sonic Boom, as well as Spyro and Sunburn, a break. They've helped me a little too much."

"Well, that's because we care about you so much," Sonic Boom told her. "We don't want you to be hurt or anything like that. It hurt us to see you get hurt when Aemus did that. We just want to help you. Please, allow us."

"Cyn, please," Spyro said. He hadn't spoken for a small amount of time. "They want to help you, and I definitely do. If you want help, you don't need to keep waiting. Just ask us, and we'll do our best. You know we can help. We've done it before, and we can do it again. You know that, don't you?"

Cynder nodded. "I know," she said. "It's just not easy. Is there some way I can escape this life? Is there some way I can just be a normal Dragoness without all the pain? I've probably said this a lot, and I'm sorry if this little scene is becoming repetitive, but it keeps coming back up, you know? I want to get out of this mess before it gets any worse. The only question is, can that really happen? It doesn't seem like it, if you ask me."

Spyro attempted to put one of his paws on her shoulder to comfort her, but when he did so, she gently pushed it off and walked away. "I'll see you guys later," she said.

When she was out of sight, Spyro turned to the others. All of them were saddened. Most of them had seen some sort of this side of Cynder, but never in a way like this.

"Poor Cynder," Sonic Boom said. "Why is it that every time we try to move on from the past, it comes back to bite you in the butt?"

"I'm not sure," Spyro replied. "It's just the way it is. I want one of you to find Cynder and try to help her. I need to see if I can learn more about this White Dragon. If Aemus comes back, the only thing on his mind will be killing Cynder. That's something we can't allow to happen. So, while I look over defenses and find out more about Aemus, who will find Cynder?"

"I'll do it," Flashwing told him. "As her new friend, I think it's best to make the attempt to show her how much I care for her."

Spyro smiled. He left the scene, too, and then the others started leaving. Soon only Drobot and Flashwing remained. Flashwing looked to Drobot. "Do you want to come with me?" she asked.

"No," Drobot replied. "I want to help her, but it's best if I just wait and see what you might do."

He walked away, leaving Flashwing alone. She started on her way towards Cynder. _I__'__ll do whatever it takes, _she thought. _I__'__ll do what I can to help Cynder._


	4. Flashwing's Helping Hand

**Chapter Four: Flashwing****'****s Helping Hand**

As Flashwing made her way to where she hoped Cynder might be, she saw Slam Bam standing near the cliff. He was smiling for some reason.

"Good day, Flashwing," he greeted. "How are things going?"

"Why do you give a crap?" Flashwing snapped.

"Wow. A little bit of a jerk today, aren't we?" he said.

Flashwing turned to him with a snarl. "Look, idiot, I'm tired of all you've said to Cynder!" she told him. "You've always tried to hurt her. You've never given her a chance. What in the name of God is the matter with you? You even broke her leg and made Warnado squeeze it! You keep calling her freak! What in the freak is the matter with you, you selfish piece of crap?"

Slam Bam had been caught off-guard by her words. He couldn't believe the way in which he'd been spoken to.

"Watch how you talk to me!" he yelled at her.

"Why should I?" Flashwing retorted. "You're not the leader of the Skylanders! You don't deserve anything. Your selfish attitude has proven that to me. I used to think you might be a friend, but then I learned the truth about Cynder. She's nice, she's friendly, and she's sacrificed a lot for us. She's going through a lot, and if you make fun of her or attempt to hurt her in any way, I will personally stab you with one of my crystals. How does that sound? Now goodbye."

As she walked away, Slam Bam just thought, _What in the heck is going on?_

As Flashwing continued down to the beach, she kept thinking of all the painful things she'd heard Slam Bam say about Cynder. She'd been told by Whirlwind how he'd just said, "Too bad, freak," after Warnado had squeezed Cynder's broken leg. Tears came to her eyes as she thought of the pain Cynder was going through emotionally.

Looking around the beach, Flashwing finally found Cynder laying near the surf. She seemed to be sleeping. But Flashwing didn't know what she was actually doing.

"Cynder?" she said. She saw Cynder pick up her head off her front paws and look behind her. When she saw Flashwing there, she half-smiled. "Are you doing okay?" Flashwing asked her. "Everybody's really worried about you. We just want to know if there's a way we can help you."

"I thank you for trying to help me, Flashwing," Cynder said. "But I don't know how you can. I've gone over the edge now."

"Cynder, please don't say that!" Flashwing exclaimed. "I know things have been hard, but you can't just give up hope that things will get better! I don't know what it's like to be messed with and ridiculed. Well, I sort of do, but that's beside the point. Cyn, I know you've been dealing with a lot, but we can help you. We can find some way to help you through this. Just trust me."

"I trust you, Flashwing," Cynder replied. "I just feel empty. I can't let my life keep going like this. It's a painful thing. Life is a—well, it's just hurtful. I've heard some say it's lovely, it's fun, but in reality, it's a living Hell. I've gone through so much, and for some reason, I can't get past the pain. My pain keeps coming back, either in physical or mental form. It attacks me as I sleep. When I try sleeping, I fail. I can't keep it up much longer. I want everything to end already. I want to find a way in which I can make it end. I just want help. I want someone to understand me."

"Cynder, I do understand you, and quite well," Flashwing assured her. "When I first met you three years ago, I thought to myself, 'I can never trust her. She's too weird.' I thought a lot of that crap, and now I feel embarrassed for ever doing so. I know I can trust you. I know I'm able to see past what others say. If they want to hurt you, they'll have to get through me. I'm not going to let them hurt someone I think of as a sister. Yes, I think of you as a sister. I know it's weird, but it's true. I never thought I'd think that back in the day. But now I do, and I won't stop, because I need you to stay being that amazing Dragoness you've always been. I need you to realize there's more than you can imagine. Yes, times are tough, and I understand. I understand you don't want to keep moving on. There are times when I don't wish to do so, but I do, because I know good things will come out of it. We only feel pain because it helps us to be stronger. We need to feel it so we can move on and find something more. Don't you see what I'm talking about? Skylands is full of things that want to hurt and kill. Despite that, we must learn to move on from it. Yes, we should sometimes fight it, but we just need to get on with life. We can't let things in the past hinder us too much, Cynder."

"How do you know so much, Flashwing?" Cynder asked. "It's like you've gone through this kind of thing before. Have you?"

"Well, no," Flashwing admitted. "I guess this is all just coming from my heart. It's coming because I want to help you get back on your feet and find a way through this. I don't want you to be hurt. Can you please allow me to help you through everything? Please, Cyn. I don't all this to have been for nothing, you know what I mean?"

"I just don't know, Flashwing," Cynder admitted. "Maybe soon I will become who I used to be. I mean, all my life I've been different. I need to find a way I can go back to normal."

"I'm here to help," Flashwing told her. "I will help you until the end of time. As long as I'm around, you need to be sure to keep your head up and never stop believing that things will get better. I swear to you that things will be getting better. I remember this saying that said, 'As long as you keep believing and keep trusting in yourself and in your faith, you will succeed, and good things will come out of it.' Do you believe in what I'm saying, Cyn?"

Cynder turned around to look at her. Flashwing could still see the tears in her eyes.

"I believe you, Flashwing," Cynder told her. "I'm still trying to get through these terrible thoughts, though. They've been coming back since…you know. It hurts a lot. I want someone to help, and you've done so well, and so has Spyro, and Sonic Boom, and Sunburn, and the others. But it's just been hard, if you know what I mean. I need some time to get through everything. When I hope for things to be simple, it never happens. I've trusted in my faith for a very long time, and it has helped—that's how I met Spyro, after all—but I just need something more now."

Flashwing went closer to Cynder and put a paw on her shoulder. "Hey, I'm still here for you," she assured her. "And so are Spyro, Sunburn, Sonic Boom, Camo, Whirlwind, and Drobot. Oh yeah, and Trigg and Gill. We're all here for you, and none of us are leaving you. Just try to remember that."

_She__'__s right, _Cynder thought to herself. _I know they__'__re all there, and I thank them for all they have done. I need them to help me. I know who I can turn to when I need help. I need to return to Spyro. He__'__s the one who understands me the most. He__'__s the one who kept believing in me and never stopped loving me. Even when I couldn__'__t bring myself to tell him how much I loved him, he somehow seemed to know. And now we__'__re mates, I need to rely on him, and I need to rely on the others. I__'__ve made my decision, and that is it. Case closed._

Cynder finally looked up at Cynder. "I know I can go on," she told Flashwing. "I know for sure I can keep moving on. Thank you."

Flashwing nodded. "You're welcome," she said. She looked into Cynder's eyes. "You know that day when I said that it was my gems that were the same color as your eyes? Well, they aren't the only parts of me that are that color. Your eyes are the same color as mine, actually." She smiled. "I'm not surprised I understand you so much. I'm glad I do. I love you like a sister, Cyn, and I won't stop. I know that you need help in places other than this, and I will help you until the end of time, if I have to. Of course, I hope it doesn't take that long, but besides that, I'm sure something good will come out of this. Just keep believing."

Cynder looked to Flashwing and smiled again. "Thank you," she said. "I am not surprised that you've become one of my greatest friends. You've helped me through so much tonight, and I wish I could award you something for that, but of course, I can't."

Flashwing giggled a little. "I don't need an award," she said. "Having you as my friend is a great enough reward, if you ask me."

She saw more tears in Cynder's eyes, but she knew these tears were those of joy, and not sadness.

"Would you mind doing one last thing for me?" Cynder asked softly.

"What is it?"

"Would you mind watching over me as I go to sleep? It might help me tonight."

Flashwing hugged her and said, "Yes, I will watch over you. You have nothing to worry about. Maybe all you need is a friend to stay there near you and make sure nothing bad is around."

And so Cynder put her head on her paws. She closed her eyes, and soon her breathing became quite soft. Flashwing knew she'd fallen asleep. The fact she'd done it so quickly made Flashwing smile.

Soon Spyro, Sonic Boom, and the others came and found Flashwing with Cynder. When they saw that Cynder had fallen asleep, they smiled.

As Spyro came near them, Flashwing whispered, "Quiet. Don't wake her. She needs sleep."

Spyro knew Flashwing was right. He laid himself down close to Cynder and stroked her neck as softly as he could. He knew from his experience of being her mate that it made her feel safe and that it let her know there was someone out there who cared for her and would never leave her.

"I think I can take over from here," he whispered to Flashwing. "You can go to sleep. I'll remain here with her until she wakes up." Flashwing was about to say something, but then got up, smiled at Spyro and Cynder, and left them.

When Flashwing was gone, Sonic Boom came to Spyro. She smiled at Cynder.

"What should we do now?" Sonic Boom asked quietly.

"Let's just wait," Spyro said. "Maybe things will come to us when we're patient. We just have to wait and see."

He soon fell asleep alongside Cynder while stroking her back, with the others watching them. None of them wanted to wake Spyro and Cynder, and so they either left or kept silent.

_At least Spyro is here to make Cynder happy, _Sonic Boom thought to herself with a smile. _If only life could always be this way. I really wish it could be. I don__'__t want Spyro and Cynder going through anymore pain. They deserve a happily ever after, and they will. We just need to keep the faith in ourselves alive and never-failing. That is when everything good starts coming._


	5. The Nightmare

**Chapter Five: The Nightmare**

Cynder returned to her old self the next day, it seemed. Spyro and the others were very grateful for all this. They still prayed it might remain that way. They didn't want Cynder to be hurt anymore.

After falling asleep on the beach, Spyro and the others had brought her to the treehouse. Spyro fell asleep next to her and put his left paw on her right paw.

As soon as she woke up, she saw Spyro and smiled. When he saw her, he smiled. "Good morning, beautiful," he greeted. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," she replied. "Flashwing helped me a lot. I guess it really helps to gain new friends. She's helped me out a lot, and I thank her for doing so much for me."

"It's the way things are," Spyro told her. "She cares for you, just as I, Sonic Boom, Sunburn, and the others do. You need to keep remembering that, okay?" She nodded. "Good. Now what do you think we should do today?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe go down to the beach? It's a sunny day, I think. I'm not too sure, though."

"I think so, because my back feels warm, and it's facing the open window," Spyro told her. "Of course, it could just be the fact you're so warm, kind, and loving. What do you think?"

"Maybe all three," Cynder said with a smile. She suddenly grimaced. The pain intensified, and then it subsided. "That was weird." At seeing Spyro's confused expression, she added, "I just had this really sudden headache. It's gone now, so there's no need to worry about it anymore. But it felt strange. I think I've only felt it once before."

Spyro decided it was best to leave the subject alone after that. He hoped it was not something much more. But he still did not want Cynder to become bombarded by questions any longer.

Cynder got up and stretched, yawned, and then stepped on to the balcony. She felt the warmth of the sun's rays hit her body, and she felt much warmer. She was ready to hit the beach, and after the beach she would most likely sleep near the Core. She felt she still needed her sleep, especially after everything she'd been forced to go through.

"Spyro, I'll be at the beach if you need me," she told him. "Love you!" She jumped off the balcony, opened her wings, and flew off.

Spyro smiled, and then thought to himself, God help us.

When Cynder landed again, this time near the beach, she found Flashwing standing not far from the Core of Light. She didn't notice Cynder was there. Finally she turned around and saw her. She smiled.

"Hey, Cyn!" she greeted. "How are you feeling?"

"Good," Cynder replied. "I'm still a little tired, but I'm feeling a whole lot better, thanks to you and the others. I think I'll be hanging out at the beach, if you need me."

"Do you mind if I tag along?" Flashwing asked. "I just want to be near you, because I want to let you know I'm your friend. I'm just that kind of a person, you know what I mean?"

Cynder nodded, and then made her way toward the beach. It was the first time she'd gone there without feeling terrible in a long time. That made her feel much better.

Suddenly Cynder felt pain in her head. She didn't know why. But she put it behind her, trying to not worry anybody else. But the one thought came back to her. The fact that she'd felt the connection before. She didn't understand why.

_Where have I felt this before?_

She went with Flashwing into the surf. She waded in until the salty water lapped at her chest. The water was warm, which she loved.

Cynder felt somebody splash her. Turning around, she found Spyro there, watching her. He was smiling brightly. She returned the smile.

"Oh, I'm going to get you for that!" she told him. "Come here!" She leapt at Spyro, but he moved out of the way in time, causing her to go completely underwater. When she came back up, she smirked at him. She could now see Sunburn and Sonic Boom in the water.

"You doing okay, Cynder?" Sonic Boom asked. "I can definitely see you're all wet."

"That, and she's just as beautiful as she's always been," Spyro called to them. He was now a little farther away, having swam to a rock. He looked Cynder over, and then he said, "You know, she might be even more beautiful today."

Cynder opened her wings and flew right at Spyro. She pulled him underwater. Despite the water being salty, Dragons' eyes are not affected by the salt. Spyro could see Cynder's sapphire-blue eyes, which shone brightly. He was enchanted by it all.

As for Cynder, she could see Spyro's amethyst eyes, which shone brightly as well.

_I hope this moment never ends, _Cynder thought to herself. And then suddenly, the pain in her head returned. She felt like she was being attacked. Something was constricting her throat, and she felt she was going to be sick.

Spyro saw this and automatically knew something was wrong. He knew he had a mental link with her now, but he hadn't used it in a long time, not since she'd been corrupted by Kaos. But he thought now was the perfect time to use the link.

_Cynder, what's happening? _he asked her.

_I don't know, _she replied. _My throat…it's constricting! I can't breathe! I feel sick…and I feel like something is hitting me. It's so painful! I can't take it!_

Spyro saw her eyes roll into the back of her head and go unconscious. While Dragons could breathe underwater while awake, if they went unconscious or fell asleep, their lungs would become waterlogged and they would die.

Spyro hurried to her and picked her body up in his claws. He hurried to the surface and flew out of the water and landed softly on the beach.

"Spyro, what happened?" Sonic Boom yelled to him. "What happened to Cynder? What's going on?"

"I don't know!" he yelled back. "Come here now! We need to help her!"

Fear was deep in his eyes and his heart was thumping hard.

"What just happened?" he asked himself.

_At the same time, Cynder woke and opened her eyes. She observed her surroundings and saw it was a world completely made of ice. She shivered, feeling the chill deep into her bones._

Where am I? _she thought._

_"Hello?" she called out. "Where am I? Can anyone help me learn where I am? Where is everybody? Spyro? Sonic Boom? Sunburn? Flashwing? Drobot? Hex? Are any of you guys here?"_

_But there was no response. Cynder shivered again. She found an ice cave and entered it. There was the sound of a crackling fire reached her ears. She hurried through the tunnel made of ice to find it, hoping to warm herself up inside._

_When she found it, she ran right to it. She realized it was the same color as Spyro's flames. While Fire's normal color was red-orange, Spyro's Fire had a violet hue. Cynder liked it because it was the same violet hue her scales had. That made her feel good, as she believed it represented their love for one another. Although her Electricity's color was close to Spyro's scale color, she believed it was too dark. She hated having Elements that came only from her corruption._

_"That's my curse," she said to herself. She felt a single tear running down her cheek. As it reached her chin, it froze. She wiped the frozen tear, trying to keep from freezing to death._

"What's the matter, Cynder?" _came a voice. It was rasping and husky. It sounded familiar to Cynder. _"You could be less miserable if you remained with me. You should have remained with me, because I could have led you on the path to greatness. After all, Malefor did so much for us, and yet you decided to leave him to die. In fact, you were the one to kill him!"

_"How was that my fault?" Cynder yelled. "I don't even know who you are! But I do know you're wrong! Just show me who you are! I have a right to know, don't I?"_

"Yes, you have a right to know, and you already do know," _the voice told her. _"Just look inside yourself!"

_Cynder didn't understand what the voice was attempting to tell her. She reached into her inner thoughts and searched, and for a long while, she could not find anything. And then one thing came to her mind, and she could do nothing but shiver in fear._

_"No, it can't be…" she started, but the voice stopped her._

"Yes, Cynder," _they said. _"You now know who I am."

_Cynder heard heavy footsteps, and then came growling. Cynder felt deep pain in her chest, and though it came from some sort a wound, it was not a physical wound._

_Turning around slowly, she found herself looking into two evil red eyes. Right there in front of her was a large Black Dragon. Cynder recognized the Dragon to be her corrupted self. Cynder couldn't believe it. She just wanted to let herself die._

_"What do you want?" Cynder asked her corrupted self. "Why are you here? Why am I here? What in the name of God is this place?!"_

"This is a Hell of your own making," _her corrupted self explained. _"I believe you've heard someone say this to you before, but let me just say it again: LIFE ISN'T FAIR!"

_The corrupted Cynder laughed huskily and sadistically._

"The one thing I want right now is to fight you to see which form is more powerful!" _the corrupted form sadistically whispered to Cynder. _"What do you say to that, little one?"

_Cynder didn't know what she was supposed to do. But before she could think anything more, her corrupted form attempted to slash her right wing, but Cynder jumped out of the way just in time._

_"I need to be real careful," Cynder said to herself. She knew now she would have to fight her corrupted form, much to her deep chagrin._

Maybe I won't have to deal with the form anymore once this is over, _Cynder thought._

_Due to her thoughts, she had let her guard down. She felt her corrupted form rake her claws through her right flank. Cynder couldn't deal with the pain too much longer. She hadn't even been in this fight for long, and she was already badly hurt._

_"Come on Cyn, hold yourself together! You can do this!" she told herself. She leapt at her corrupted form and latched on, cutting at her with her claws. But she was shaken off and thrown into a rock._

_Her corrupted form just laughed. _"Welcome to the end, little one! Now only the beast is alive inside!"

_Cynder saw her corrupted form raise her long claws. The blade at the end of her corrupted form's tail come right at her._

_The blade went right through her belly. The great pain intensified as the blade went deeper. Cynder saw the blood streaming freely from her body. Then she saw the claws coming for her throat. Cynder closed her eyes and felt her throat being slit. She thought no more._

But then suddenly she opened her eyes and realized she was no longer in that world, that she was back at the Ruins. She threw up water and began coughing.

"Cynder!" Spyro yelled. She looked at him and then hugged him hard. She wasn't crying, but she could feel the deep fear inside her chest. "Cyn, what's wrong?" he asked.

"I'll explain later," she told him. "Did anything happen to me when I went unconscious under the water?"

"No, fortunately," Sonic Boom replied. She was staring at her best friend with worried emerald eyes. "Are okay?"

"For now, I think I will be," Cynder told them all.

Suddenly they heard an explosion behind them. Cynder felt cold all of a sudden, and she wondered why that was. But soon an answer came for her.

Aemus came through the smoke caused by the explosion, smiling in an evil way. Cynder gulped and got closer to Spyro. Spyro got in front of her, attempting to protect her. "You're not going to hurt her again, Aemus," he said.

Aemus smiled.

"Hm, we'll see about that."


	6. The Near-Death Experience

**Chapter Six: The Near-Death Experience**

"Cynder, I want you to get the heck out of here," Spyro told her. He turned to her and kissed her forehead. "I know you might wish to fight, but I won't be able to take it if you're injured. Do you understand me?"

"Yes," she replied. The fear was evident in her sapphire eyes. She kissed him back. "Just please be careful. I can't live without you."

She ran off as quickly as she could, hoping to get somewhere she could hide. But then she realized she should just wait until Aemus came near her so she could attack. She wanted to kill him, and in her opinion, this was her chance.

Spyro saw Aemus attempt to follow Cynder, but he was ready to defeat the beast. He released Fire at Aemus, striking him in the chest.

"AGH!" Aemus screamed. "You piece of crap! You'll be paying for that soon enough! You and your little girl! She'll be dead before she can yell for you to come help!"

"You and what army?" asked Whirlwind.

A group of monsters appeared next to Aemus. They were all either snarling or smiling at the Skylanders in front of them.

"Sometimes, I really need to keep my big fat mouth shut," Whirlwind muttered to herself. She looked around for Cynder, hoping she had really gotten out of there. She knew how stubborn Cynder could be, and she also knew that sometimes got her into trouble.

Aemus sent flurries of Ice at the Skylanders in front of him. Though some of their wings were iced over, they shook it off and returned to fighting.

_That's the problem, _Aemus thought. _Cynder is affected by the Ice so easily. But when it comes to these guys, they are a little different. Ah well, I just have to kill them and then I can go after the little freak._

"Hey, buttface!" yelled Whirlwind. She released a Tempest Cloud that hit Aemus hard. The blast of electricity hit him hard, but just as she believed she'd taken him down possibly, he recovered.

Aemus jumped up at her and swiped. Whirlwind grimaced as his claws tore through her left wing. She yelped out in pain. Aemus just laughed, loving the fact he was actually able to hurt others again. That was something that gave him joy in his life, which he knew was something that was sickening to many others. But he, as he said, didn't give a crap.

"Where did your little friend go?" Aemus asked her sadistically, taking hold of her injured wing in his claws. Whirlwind could smell blood on his breath. It was a disgusting smell that tortured her nose. "Tell me where she went, or I will kill you and all those that you and she cares about! NOW TELL ME WHERE SHE IS!"

"Stop," came the voice Aemus had been waiting to hear. He looked down and saw Cynder standing there, her blue eyes blazing with anger. "Don't you even dare to hurt her! If you want me, then you can have me!"

"Cynder, what are you doing?" Whirlwind exclaimed. "Run! We told you to run!"

"I heard what you said, Whirlwind, and I may love you like a sister, but I'm not going to sit around and wait for Aemus to find me!" Cynder said defiantly. "If you want me, Aemus, then come and get me!"

"With pleasure," Aemus said. He released Whirlwind's wing. He looked over to where Spyro, Sunburn, and Sonic Boom were battling some of his soldiers. "Hey, leader!" he called to Spyro. "Come and look over here!"

Spyro took a glance over in the direction where Aemus was calling him from. He believed a ruse was coming, but when he took his glance in that direction, his eyes suddenly widened in fear. He saw Cynder there. She was obviously very unhappy, but she seemed ready to fight. Seeing this scared Spyro terribly, his heart beating so badly that he felt it would explode from his chest.

"CYNDER, GET OUT OF THERE!" Spyro said. "I TOLD YOU TO RUN! NOW DO AS I SAY! PLEASE!"

"No!" Cynder replied. "I'm not going to give Aemus any satisfaction! He won't dare to believe I'm weak! Come at me, Aemus, and we can end this once and for all!"

Aemus flew right at her. Spyro was still horrified. He attempted to fly over there, but he was stopped by one of Aemus's soldiers.

As soon as Cynder saw Aemus coming at her, she dodged out of the way. However, Aemus was too cunning, and he curved back around and caught Cynder's tail. He picked her up and threw her at the ocean. She recovered in midair, ready to fight back. Her eyes began blazing even more wildly. Aemus saw this and felt a little fearful, as he'd never seen such a thing happen before. But then he came up with something to say to her. He knew it would really irk her, as he'd been able to study her quite well over the years since she'd returned to normal.

"Come on," he said. "That's not you. I don't think that's the real you, at least. I know for sure there's someone else down in there who wants to come out and play! I want to see them, please, because they used to be one of my greatest friends! Now let me see them again, if you please."

"Never gonna happen, you sick freak!" Cynder growled. "I won't allow that monster to ever come back into my life! I've gone through enough Hell with it, and now I have to go through even more with you. God help us all."

Aemus just laughed. He loved how Cynder was attempting to stall the release of the dark beast inside her. For some reason, it made him very happy. He didn't know why, but that was the way it was. And he liked it that way.

"Cynder, there is something down there, in your flesh and blood, that is just waiting to come out and say hello to me. Please, allow me to see them again. They gave strength. They definitely never gave me hope, but then again, why should they?" Aemus laughed and then went back to being serious. "I am going to make sure I can see them again before you take your last breath."

"It won't be happening, Aemus," Cynder said defiantly. "That monster will never resurface in my life! I'll not allow it, and you can't stop me!"

"I can't stop you?" Aemus asked. "Oh, I think that's quite an understatement. I can stop you whenever I freaking please! Now…_GIVE ME THE ONE I WISH TO SEE!"_

Cynder had been expecting this. She got into her defensive stance and waited for him to attack. And much to her delight—as well as deep horror—he did. At the same time, she suddenly saw Spyro, who was watching her anxiously, hoping she wouldn't be too hurt. Cynder didn't know what she was supposed to think of that. And she had no time as she was suddenly blasted into a pile of rocks by cold wind. She groaned and shivered, unable to take the sudden drop in temperature in the air around her. She looked up at Aemus, who smiled at her once more.

Cynder roared out and attack Aemus, but he was somehow too fast, even for her. He leapt out of the way and then caught her by her tail. Cynder felt herself be thrown into the sand. Aemus stomped on her back, apparently hoping to break it. But all he succeeded in was getting Cynder to begin coughing. And then suddenly, Cynder began noticing there was another color in the spit that flew from her mouth as she coughed: red.

Aemus had caused her to begin spitting up blood somehow, and that was something that scared her severely. She whirled around and attempted to take him down by slicing open his left leg with her tail-blade. But the attempt wasn't even worth it, and Cynder felt herself get dragged over the sand and thrown into the rocks once more. She couldn't believe what she was feeling. Aemus released a flurry of Ice that seemingly froze her in place. Cynder looked around her and found her injured leg was frozen. She could not move it, and because it was frozen, she could not even attempt to get up. Even despite the injury, she needed to use the leg to help her get up if she were laying down.

"This is your weakness, Cynder," Aemus taunted. "You have no place in this world anymore, I tell you. You believe a place in the Skylanders will help you to attone for you all your past sins. Well, let me tell you something, darling. IT DOESN'T!" Aemus laughed and raised his claws to slash her.

However, Cynder saw something red crash into Aemus's side, knocking the White Dragon onto his side. He groaned in pain. Cynder blinked, and then found Sunburn looking at her with concern.

"Cyn, you need to get out of here!" he yelled at her. "Here, let me help you get unfrozen from this!" He opened his mouth to release fire, but before he could even attempt to breathe out, Aemus returned, having recovered from the collision. He seemed to be furious, and Cynder, for some reason, could not blame him.

"Time to die!" hissed Aemus. "But not you, Hybrid. _Her._" Aemus spoke the last word with venom. He slashed Sunburn's right wing and threw him away, leaving just him and Cynder once again. Now he believed he would be able to take her down once and for all. No one would be able to stand in his way anymore. He knew it for sure, and now it was time he proved it to everyone else around him.

But then hot flames came out of nowhere and took Aemus down again. Cynder looked over and found Spyro breathing them. He looked to her with a strange expression that Cynder could not read. Cynder couldn't understand why.

When Spyro was done, Aemus stumbled. He looked to Spyro. "How in the heck is that possible?" he gasped. "No one can do something such as that to me! I am too powerful, you stupid piece of sh—" He stopped as Spyro released the flames once more. After stumbling again, he looked to Cynder and smiled. He raised his claws and attempted to slash her once more. This time Spyro threw himself at Aemus, taking him down.

However, his claws met their mark, and although they didn't go as deep as he'd been hoping, Cynder cried out in pain as the scars were created and the blood began streaming out. Aemus kept smiling. He got back up quickly on his feet and spat at Spyro. "You will have nothing left to live for when I am done with her!" he roared. "She will die soon! Maybe not from the marks I left on her side, but soon enough she will die, and I will be there to end her! I will be there to watch and laugh and jump up and down in glee! And you will only have to watch as your little Cynder is killed for good!" He cackled, and then suddenly disappeared in a blast of Ice.

Spyro shielded himself as pieces of Ice went flying all around. He then turned around and ran to Cynder. Sonic Boom was there before her could be, with Sunburn at his side. Whirlwind and Camo came not long after, and then Flashwing and Drobot.

"Where's Stealth Elf?" Spyro asked them worriedly. "Oh holy crap, I'm so scared!" He was beginning to sweat. He looked Cynder over, but the claw marks were the only thing his eyes could stay on. He couldn't believe that the wound was even there. But then he realized that if he hadn't attacked Aemus and pushed him out of the way, it could have been much, much worse. And he wouldn't have wanted that. He didn't want it now.

Stealth Elf suddenly appeared. Sunburn quickly melted the ice, and Spyro kept looking at Cynder to see if she was still conscious. She was shivering and coughing, as well as whimpering a little.

"Cyn, you still there?" Spyro asked her.

"Yes," she said, smiling to her best ability. "I'm sorry. I had to do something. Whirlwind was in trouble, and…" Her voice trailed off. She suddenly closed her eyes.

Cynder could suddenly see a bright white light. She didn't know where she was, but it felt amazing. She felt almost free. Everything around her was white. She felt no hatred and no terror. She felt perfectly fine. Everything was just the way she'd always wanted it. The way she'd been wanting it for a long time. She never thought such a time would come, but now here it was, and she felt great.

She felt something soft brush her right cheek. Looking around for the source, she found nothing. She kept looking for whatever had brushed her cheek, but found nothing. And then she heard the words: _"Go back to your world now."_

Cynder opened her eyes and wondered where she was. She remembered what had happened in that strange white world, but she wondered what it had all meant.

She realized she was in the healing tent. She wondered how many times she would have to be in there before she died.

"Hello?" she called out, finding her throat dry.

"Cynder?" said a voice. Sonic Boom entered her field of vision. She was smiling now. "Oh thank God, you're okay!" she cried. She placed her right paw softly upon Cynder's forehead. "And fortunately, you never had a fever."

"Wait, what happened? The last thing I remember is being picked up by Stealth Elf after Aemus got me. What happened after that?"

"You were out of it," Sonic Boom explained. "You went unconscious, and we were all wondering what we were supposed to do. Spyro was deathly afraid, to be honest. I mean, I can't blame him, but still…Uh, nevermind. I just want to know if you remember anything beyond what happened there."

Cynder thought for a moment. Should she reveal what she'd seen? About the beautiful white world, and the words that had been spoken to her. It all felt so weird, but she decided she would deal with it. She also decided she would keep her experience to herself for the time being.

Her near-death experience.

It was the first time she'd ever experienced such a thing. She never wanted to go through such a thing again, in truth, although the world she'd found herself in had been so beautiful. She wanted to remain with Spyro in Skylands forever. She never wanted to leave those she loved, especially not him.

Cynder looked to Sonic Boom. "Do you know where Spyro is? I would really love to see him right about now."

"Sure, I'll go and get him," Sonic Boom said. "Just close your eyes and rest. At least, that's what Cali told me to say when you woke up. You know, she just cares for you, and frankly, can you really blame her?"

Cynder shook her head and attempted to smile. It didn't work. Once Sonic Boom had left to get Spyro, Cynder returned to her thoughts about the near-death experience. It hadn't been normal, she knew. It was something not many ever went through, she believed. But then she took that back. There were probably many who experienced the same thing before they died on the battlefield…and even in other places.

Spyro entered the tent with a solemn expression on his face. When he saw Cynder, he became much happier and the solemn expression became one of joy.

"Spyro, I'm sorry about what happened," Cynder apologized. "I just had to do something. Whirlwind was in trouble, and—" Spyro held up a paw to silence her.

"It's okay, Cyn," he said. "I don't blame you. You did the right thing, but of course, it came at some sort of cost. Thank God you're not dead, though. I am really glad about that."

Cynder laughed a little. "I am too," she said. "Is it a bad idea if I decide to sleep here for the rest of the night—or day, if that is what it is. I lost track of time."

"It's night, Cynder," came Cali's voice from outside the tent. When she entered, she smiled. "I'm glad you're okay. You gave some of your friends a scare. I struggled to calm them, to be honest. You're lucky to have such good friends on your side."

"Thanks," Cynder said. "But now I just need to sleep. I'm not sure what I'll be having to deal with soon. What happened to Aemus's soldiers after he left?"

"They all sort of disappeared," Spyro explained. "As soon as he was gone, so were they. It was really weird. But let's not talk about that for now, please. I just want to be with you for now. We can go to that subject later on, okay?" He smiled at her, hoping it would help his case.

Cynder rolled her eyes. "Fine," she gave in. "You're lucky I love you, you know."

"I know that very well," Spyro said. He looked over to Cali. "Is it okay if she sleeps here for the night?"

"Sure," Cali said. "When do you plan on getting out of here, though?"

"Most likely tomorrow," Cynder replied. "I don't want to take up space in here if I shouldn't be."

Cali just smiled and then left them. She was obviously in a better mood. Spyro noticed she was being friendlier to Cynder, and that was something that he really enjoyed. It made him feel better about everything that had recently occurred.

He took a look over to Cynder, who was yawning. She closed her eyes and whispered, "Goodnight, Spyro." She fell asleep right then and there. Spyro smiled and fell asleep near her.

But just before either of them had fallen asleep, they'd both wondered how the fight with Aemus would finally end.


	7. Strange Feelings

**Chapter Seven: Strange Feelings**

Flashwing didn't know how much she and the others would be going through. Ever since the last battle with Aemus, she'd felt very strange. She didn't want Cynder to deal with anymore pain. She'd gone through so much, and Aemus had not helped her. He'd only made everything worse, causing parts of her life to become a living Hell almost.

_Cynder doesn't deserve this, _Flashwing thought. _She's gone through too much. This last fight left her hurt. I need to see if she's finally woken up, because I need to make sure she's okay. I should've done more to help her during that fight. It wasn't her fault that she joined the fight. Whirlwind was injured, and she saw it. None of this is her fault, and I'll stay by her side always thanks to the fact she didn't dare to stop and think about helping us. She went against what Spyro said, yes, but that was only because she didn't want Whirlwind to be hurt any longer. And Aemus has those kinds of ways, it seems. He's a hurtful, no good, stupid piece of crap, and the next time I see him, I will kill him for what he's done to Cynder! I thought Kaos was bad…but Aemus just makes everything so much worse! I need to know more about him, but if I ask Cynder, then I don't know how I'll put my words. She might hate that I would dare to talk to her about that kind of stuff! Everything is so hurtful to her now, unfortunately. I'll find some specific way to do it soon, but for now, I'll go and see her in the healing tent. I want to let her know I'm still there for her, because she deserves it. I'm her friend now, and I want to prove it to her._

Finished thinking, Flashwing sighed and smiled. She got up off her bed and started toward the balcony of her treehouse. She looked down and saw Sonic Boom and Sunburn talking to one another. She opened her crystal wings and flew down. When Sonic Boom and Sunburn saw her, they smiled.

"Hi, guys," she greeted. "Do you know if Cynder is okay? Has she woken up?"

"Yes, she has," Sonic Boom replied. "That's what I was about to tell Sunburn." She noticed the look in Flashwing's eyes, which were the same color as Cynder's. She could tell that Flashwing now truly cared for Cynder, which made Sonic Boom happy. "If you want me to, I can take you there."

"No, thanks," Flashwing said. "I'll be going on my own. I just want to be speaking with Cynder alone. You know, I just want to let her know that I'm still her friend, and that I always will be there nowadays."

"Trust me, she knows," Sunburn said. "She's got that sort of a way of knowing those sorts of things. She's that kind of Dragoness who knows when something is coming, but are unsure of what will happen or when it will happen. Unfortunately, she didn't see this coming, and that's what makes this situation bad. But we just need to keep hoping for everything to begin getting better. When it does, we can all rest."

Flashwing nodded. "I'm going to go and see her now," she said. "I'll see you guys later." She walked away from them. When they knew she was gone, Sonic Boom turned to Sunburn and smiled.

"I'm glad she's caring for Cynder now," she said. "If only every Skylander could change their mind like she has. Then maybe they would love Cynder a lot more."

"Maybe one day," Sunburn said. "Maybe one day that'll finally happen. But for now, we can just go ahead and hope for that." He looked to her and then kissed her. Then they started on their way back to their treehouse.

Flashwing, meanwhile, continued making her way to the healing tent. Just as she arrived, she ran into Spyro. He was smiling brightly, which allowed Flashwing to know something good had happened. "Hey, Flashwing," he greeted. "Is everything going good for you?"

"Yes," she replied. "Is Cynder awake in there? I would really love to see her right about now."

"She's asleep, actually, but you can go in and see her. She'll probably be asleep for a while. Just try not to wake her," he said.

"Don't worry," she said. "I'll just watch over her. When she wakes, I'll hopefully be able to talk with her." Suddenly the smile on her face faltered. "Spyro, can I reveal something to you?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"I don't know how much longer I can take the fact that Aemus is still around. I'm going mad just because he's been hurting Cynder. She doesn't deserve these things at all! She deserves to be with her friends, and with you, her mate. But Aemus has done all this to her, and it really hurts me. I want it all to end finally. Do you understand what I mean?"

Spyro nodded. "I understand very well. She doesn't deserve it, and out of everyone, I know it best, if you know what I mean. You know it all well, too, but it's just—"

"I understand, Spyro. You've known her longest, and you're her mate. I wish I understood her as well as you do. This world is full of so many strange things, and I don't understand the reason why. Why is it that Cynder should have all her secrets revealed like this? She's kept these secrets from us to protect us, but now everything is coming up, and we're unable to do anything about it. It's so darn annoying!"

"I know," Spyro said. "But we'll just have to wait and see, and then hope that everything will start getting better." Silence fell over them for a second, and then, "I'm going to go now. I have to talk with Sunburn. See you later."

As he left, Flashwing slowly and silently entered the healing tent. She saw on one of the beds Cynder, who was sleeping soundly. Her breathing was soft and almost beautiful. Flashwing looked her over and saw bandages on one of her sides, which brought some tears to her eyes. She hated that Cynder would have to deal with such wounds. It almost didn't seem fair. Cynder hadn't really done anything in her lifetime that would have brought such terrible demons such as Aemus into it.

_She doesn't deserve anything like this. She's such a good friend, and yet she's gone through so much Hell! Why can't her life be normal? Why can't she just be like a normal person! She's so amazing, so beautiful…and yet she's gone through so much. What in the name of God has happened to this world? It's so screwed up. Cynder doesn't deserve her pain. She only deserves love. That's it. If anyone else attempts to come and hurt her, I swear, I will kill them!_

Flashwing sighed and continued standing around there for hours, waiting for Cynder to wake. As morning neared, she could have sworn she saw the young Black Dragoness stir some. Flashwing just kept patient, knowing Cynder deserved her sleep.

And then Cynder finally woke. Flashwing was alerted to it when she heard groaning in the way one always did when waking up from a long sleep. Flashwing looked to Cynder and waited for her to notice her. Cynder yawned, rubbed her eyes, and then opened them. When her beautiful sapphire eyes fell on Flashwing, she smiled.

"Good morning," Cynder greeted.

"Hi," Flashwing greeted back. "I just wanted to wait for you to wake up. You know, I'm just trying to be friendly." She smiled tiredly.

"Did you wait all night for me?" Cynder asked. Flashwing nodded, and Cynder sighed. "You didn't have to do that. I know you were probably concerned for me, but you didn't have to wait for me to wake up. I'm perfectly fine, Flashwing, but I am happy that you would go through all that trouble just for me."

"I know I've probably said this a lot, but I just want to let you know I'm here for you, Cyn," Flashwing explained. "So anyway, how are you doing since…all that?"

"I think I've been healing pretty well," Cynder said. "I mean, it has only been a small while since my last injury. To be honest, Flashwing, I'm ready for all this crap to end. I hate it so darn much. I've put all you guys into so much trouble. Whirlwind was badly hurt by the end of that last battle, and I hate it." Tears came to her eyes. "When I joined, I believed I would be able to save everyone, and so far I've succeeded, but the worst thing is, I've let all of you get hurt somewhere along the way. Spyro lost his Elemental abilities because of me, Whirlwind's been injured twice, once by me in my corrupted form, and once by Aemus. Sonic Boom was injured by me as well in Convexity, and then she was forced to deal with the secret of my deal. Out of all those I love, who else must be injured?"

Flashwing just smiled at her calmly. "No matter what happens, we won't blame you for any of this. You had no part in this crap."

"Yes, I do!" Cynder protested. "Aemus is a demon from my past, and, because of that, I have to be the one to take him down. I don't want anyone else I love to be hurt by my past! I would rather it just be myself who goes through this. I'll deal with the pain, and I'll let the rest of you live your own normal lives."

Flashwing said softly, yet fiercely, "Cyn, I know you say that, but no matter how many times you say so, we're not going to be leaving your side. We're going to stay by your side until the very end. Those of us who love you will never stop. Your life matters too much, and even if you decide to go up against the demons in your past, I am going to be by your side, helping my sister until I take my last breath. You are my sister, and I love you. You are my inspiration. Despite all you've gone through, you haven't collapsed under the pressure yet, and I hope you never do. You've never given up hope, which is something not everyone can do. I'm sure that Slam Bam would be down on the ground by now if it were him." She laughed a little, as did Cynder. Then she returned to the serious part of the conversation. "Don't give up hope just because all these things seem so darn bleak. Keep your mind on the things that matter most to you. Never stop loving Spyro, because I can see he is the one who gives you the most hope. Love is something no evil can ever possess. If someone who calls themselves evil loves someone, then they are not truly evil. They are only in denial; they are in denial of who they truly are. You, however, will never lose track of who you truly are, nor will you ever forget the true power that remains dormant inside you. You are amazing, and I'll never stop putting hope in you, Cynder."

When she finished, Flashwing released a sigh, happy that she'd been able to finally tell someone that. She'd saved such a speech just for a situation such as where she was now.

"Thank you, Flashwing," Cynder said. "I'll keep that in my mind and heart forever."

Flashwing slowly hugged her, wanting to be careful with her injuries. Then she turned around and began walking to the entrance. "I've gotta go now, Cyn," she said. "I hope you feel better soon! We need a valuable member like you back on her feet soon!"

As Flashwing left, Cynder closed her eyes, and with those good words left in her mind, fell asleep.

At the same time, Flashwing was walking toward her treehouse, happy that Cynder was doing good now. She was hoping everyone would become normal for her.

As she passed the Core of Light, her eyes caught sight of Bash. He was eyeing her nervously, and Flashwing knew why: he had a crush on her. She knew she was, in a way, grateful toward him, as he was the reason she was a Skylander. But she no longer cared much for that. He disliked Cynder, she knew, and that was something she could not take. She'd heard him say that he wouldn't dare to save her if she was taken again. That had been after Spyro saved her from Kaos's control.

She kept walking by, wanting to get past him and return to her treehouse. Unfortunately, he started walking toward her. She didn't want to deal with anything.

"Hey, Flashwing!" came Bash's strange voice. "I want to talk with you!"

"Why do you want that?" Flashwing retorted. "I don't trust you very much anymore, Bash, I hope you know that."

"Well, I was hoping you would one of these days begin trusting me. I really just want to talk," Bash continued, not knowing it was only making things worse for him. "Why don't you want to talk to me?"

"Hm, let me see here," Flashwing said, pretending to think about it. "Oh, yeah, now I remember!" She whirled around and stared at him with angry eyes. "Look, buttcrack, I don't like you, I most certainly will never trust you. Do you even know why I'm angry?"

"Does it have to do with that one weirdo, Cynder?"

As soon as Flashwing heard his words, she took one of the crystals off her wing and held it right up to his throat. "I knocked you off that cliff that one time, and the only reason you survived that is because it wasn't high up, and you landed on your back! But I'm sure that if I swipe this crystal across your throat right now, it would kill you. You're very lucky, because being a Skylander, I won't kill someone who is part of my team. You're the Captain of this Element, but enjoy it while it lasts, Bash! You might be done with being Captain very, very soon."

Bash didn't know what he was supposed to do. Flashwing finally let the crystal drop to the ground. She concentrated, causing it to dissipate. Then she turned her back and began walking away. As she did so, she heard Bash yell to her, "So does this mean you don't like me?"

Flashwing slapped her left paw to her face, unable to understand why he couldn't see that she wouldn't never like him. All he was to her was a teammate. They were part of the same Element, but that was about it.

She hurried to her treehouse, hoping to get her mind off Bash. When she arrived she found Drobot standing near his. It seemed he'd just come out of his treehouse. When he saw Flashwing, he seemed to become nervous all of a sudden.

"Hey," Flashwing greeted.

"Hi," he greeted back. "Is something wrong?"

"Bash keeps thinking I'm supposed to love him," she explained. "It's so darn annoying. I don't know how much more I'm supposed to deal with all his crap, to be honest. Good God."

"Well, hopefully that'll end soon," Drobot said. "How's Cynder?"

"She's doing good, but she's worried for all of us, you know? She doesn't want anyone else to be hurt. Whirlwind should be healing, and so that might cheer Cynder up soon enough. But I just want this to be over so she and Spyro can live normally. I want to live normally, too, but if you ask me, Cynder is much more important than I'll ever be. If it weren't for her, then Malefor would still be around, and I'm sure no one would want that."

"I know that for sure, because I was there, remember?" Drobot reminded her. "Malefor was so evil, but Cynder was able to end him once and for all. We won't have to deal with his reign of terror ever again. Unfortunately, I judged Cynder for what happened. She was corrupted there, you see, which was Malefor's doing. He'd done it to her against her will. She didn't deserve that, because she's—she's just a good friend. It's hard for me to comprehend how rude I acted toward her. Flashwing, I actually threatened her. Spyro told me to stop, but I just kept it up. I slapped him, and that triggered Cynder nearly revealing her secret to everyone then. Now, of course, revealing it doesn't matter, but I feel so terrible for doing such a thing."

Flashwing put a paw on his shoulder. "It's okay," she said. "All that matters now is that she knows we're her friend. That's all that matters now, Drobot."

She looked into his yellow machine eyes, wondering what the color of his normal eyes were. But she didn't care about the machinery. She just liked him for who he was. At the same time, he was looking into her sapphire eyes.

And then…they found themselves kissing.

They didn't stop kissing for a small while. And then when they stopped, they couldn't stop smiling at one another. Both were nervous once again, and then Drobot cleared his throat.

"Uh, yeah," he said. He started making his way to his treehouse, leaving Flashwing to just stand there.

"See you later!" she called to him nervously. Then, when he was gone, she let out all the breath she'd saved up in a large sigh.

She made her way to her treehouse, thinking of what had just happened. Now she knew the path her life would be following. Only she could make her decisions, and now they'd been made, she was going to follow them.

But she still had to worry about Cynder and how Aemus was hurting her. She would find a way to help her friend, and no one would be able to stand in her way.


	8. Whirlwind's Visions

**Merry Christmas to everyone! :)**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter Eight: Whirlwind's Visions<strong>

Camo was in his treehouse with Whirlwind, who was laying next to him on the bed. Her left wing was wrapped in gauze. She was asleep, but every once in a while Camo could hear small moans of pain. He wasn't surprised, as some of the vital membranes had been either pierced or severed.

_God, this is so stressful, _Camo thought. _I just want this to end soon. Whirlwind and Cynder are injured, Spyro is worried sick—and so am I—and Aemus is still on the run! The freaking idiot has injured my mate, and I can't take that! He's also injured one of the greatest friends I'll ever know! Cynder doesn't deserve any of this. Her past is ruining her life, and I want that to end. I remember Malefor still, and I remember what both he and Kaos did to her. It's thanks to Kaos that Cynder was forced to reveal her secret to everyone else, which is something she shouldn't have had to go through. She might have given herself to him, but that was to save us, and I respect that. After all, we were all so tired that we could barely stand! Such a drastic length is worthy of something good coming out of it, but for Cynder, all that came out of it was Kaos causing double-crossing her and forcing her to fight us. Unfortunately, Kaos escaped, and to be honest, I hope we never see him again. But now this is all going downhill. We need to help Cynder through this, and I will stay by her side until the day I die. I hope I can help her through everything. But for now, I need to help my own mate through her pain. Please be all right, Whirlwind._

Suddenly he felt Whirlwind beginning to stir. He looked over to her and smiled as she opened her blue eyes. While they were not the sapphire-blue color that Cynder and Flashwing had, her azure eyes were, to him, even more amazing.

"Hi there," Camo said.

"Hi," she replied. "What's happened? Is anything wrong? Where is Cynder?"

"Hey, it's okay," Camo assured her. "Everything is fine. Cyn is all right. She's hurt, but she will recover from those injuries, as well. Cali said so. You're hurt, too, but it's only your wing, fortunately. It was Cynder who saved you, you know."

"I remember," she said. "It's just that I had a…dream…while I was asleep. In it I saw Cynder, and she was hurt. I couldn't take it, because she was bleeding so badly. Oh God, it was awful!"

"How did the dream end?"

"With her dying. And you know who was the one to kill her?"

"Aemus?"

"No. It was Spyro who killed her in my dream." Tears dripped from her eyes. "Camo, that's one of my worst fears. I've never wished for Cynder to be hurt since I became her friend. But it's not been the same, thanks to Aemus's arrival. Everything has become so screwed up now, and I'm not sure what this world is coming to. I want to just stop everything from happening, but I can't."

"Well, she knows that you're her friend," Camo said. "I'm very sure that she knows that. She loves us all, and we should love her back. We will likely never know the extent of her pain, but we can still help her through what has been happening. I don't know why Aemus had to come and hurt Cynder, and even now I am wondering why I haven't done more. I could fought Aemus so much more, but instead I just stood there and watched the fights. I wanted to get into them so I could help everyone, but I have fear inside me. I don't want to continue dealing with all this crap. Unfortunately, we have to. We're supposed to, and it's not because we're Skylanders. No way. It's because we care for Cynder. Her past has brought a lot of enemies to us, but none of it is her fault. If it weren't for her, we'd still be dealing with some of these guys, such as Deathmatch and Malefor. But thanks to her, they're gone, and we'll never have to deal with them again. I'm sure that both times Cynder saw either Deathmatch or Malefor, she was scared. I know she was with the both of them, and I'm not surprised. They were both demons of her past, and so is Aemus. Her demons are returning, which hurts her so very badly. But we can help her through it. We're meant to, Whirlwind. We became her friends, and because of that, we need to remain by her side until the very end. Do you understand what I am telling you?" She nodded. Camo sighed, knowing he'd renewed her faith and given her hope. He placed his head near hers. She hugged him close.

Camo had once believed it to be strange that he was the smallest of all his friends. And out of almost all of them, he was the only one who could not fly. _And another thing I've noticed is that I'm smaller than the one I love. When it comes to all the others, including Cynder, they're smaller than their mates. I'm not. It was strange to me once, but now it's not. It's just the way I was made. Nobody judges me for it, and that's all that matters. At least I have somebody who loves me. That's all I will care about for now._

"So what should we do tomorrow?" Whirlwind asked. "I need to be checking on Cynder very soon. After all, she saved my life. It's the best thing I could do."

"Well, it's best to not do so today," Camo told her. "And when you do, just be careful. You don't need to be stressing yourself out. If you do something like that, we'll be one whole valuable member down. We don't want that one bit, now do we?" He stroked her cheek and then softly kissed it.

"No, we do not," Whirlwind softly replied. She kissed him back. Then she sighed. "Camo, could I tell you something? It's something I've held back for a very long time, and I think now is a good time to go ahead and reveal it to you."

"What is it?"

"I've been having dreams of Cynder being hurt for a long while, and now it seems that all of these dreams are beginning to come true. The last one nearly did, and I'm not lying to you!" Whirlwind's azure eyes were deep with worry.

"I know you well enough to see whether or not you would lie," Camo told her. "Just tell me, how long have you been having these dreams? And do you know if they can possibly tell the future?"

"I don't know," Whirlwind admitted. "I want to know, but I can't be too sure. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. Just try to think it through."

Whirlwind thought for a little while, and suddenly her eyes widened. "Oh God," she whispered to herself. She began shaking, and Camo had to place a paw on her shoulder to calm her down. "Camo, the last vision I had ended so terribly. It was so bloody."

"I know you might not want to reveal it, but could you just tell it to me?"

Whirlwind sighed, attempted to calm down, and then finally began: "It started with all of us together near the Core of Light. Even Drobot and Flashwing were standing there with us. It all seemed to be a normal day. Spyro and Cynder were loving one another, Sunburn and Sonic Boom were watching, you and I were just talking together, and Drobot and Flashwing were…well, to be honest, I'm not sure what they were doing. Hex was there too, just watching and smiling, which meant she was happy. But then there was this sudden explosion, and Aemus appeared. He seemed to be so powerful. He released this torrent of Ice at us. Spyro told Cynder to run, like the last time, but Aemus was too quick, as the Ice was only the diversion, as it was obscuring him from our view. He caught Cynder and through her into a rock. She was badly hurt, and then he suddenly slit her throat. I can't imagine what would have happened then before the dream ended. I just saw the blood dripping from her slit throat, and when I woke up, I couldn't stop crying. You were in the bed with me, but you didn't wake up, much to my surprise. But Camo, if my next vision comes true, I don't know what I'm going to have to do. I need to make sure Cynder is not hurt. I need to help her. I need to stop something like that from ever happening!"

Camo placed a small paw on her shoulder and hugged her. "It won't be happening, because none of us will be allowing such a thing. We love Cynder too much. She'll be protected until the very end. Don't you even worry."

Whirlwind nodded and smiled through the profuse sweat and tears.

"I just hope Aemus never comes back," she said. "I hope he realizes he'll never be able to win."

"Maybe he will," Camo said. "I would sincerely hope so. But I can't be sure, unfortunately. We can never be too sure. But we can keep hoping, and that's what matters most of all. Never stop having faith in what you believe and hope in."

Whirlwind continued smiling and kissed her mate. He returned the favor. They then decided to go to sleep, hoping to be awake and focused whenever they saw Cynder tomorrw. They knew she would be delighted to see the both of them. Both of them placed their heads on their paws, with Whirlwind being very careful as she got a little more comfortable because of her wing.

But rest did not come easily for either of them. Both of them had trouble going to sleep. Even after closing her eyes, Whirlwind could not sleep. And that was for only one reason.

_She felt the cold air. It was something she could take. But she knew Cynder wouldn't be able to take it. Though she knew that Cynder wouldn't be able to take any sort of cold weather, she knew that this weather had been caused by someone else entirely. It had been caused by Aemus. And she knew he was around here somewhere, waiting for Cynder to arrive so he could kill her. But Whirlwind would not allow one of her greatest friends to be attacked and killed. She would save her before something bad happened._

_She suddenly saw the Black Dragoness. She was shivering badly, and that let Whirlwind know she had to get her out of there quickly. She wouldn't let Spyro down._

_They quickly ran down a hallway, with Cynder standing close. Whirlwind turned her head to see Sonic Boom, who was looking beaten. Blood dripped from her nose, which made Whirlwind cringe._

_"You can't hide forever!" came the evil, dreaded, and cold voice of Aemus. "I will find you all soon enough! Don't you dare attempt to hide from me! It will never work! Especially when it comes to you, Cynder!"_

_Whirlwind looked around, hoping to find the monster before he found them. She wanted to warn her friends, but it seemed to be hopeless. She didn't know what a sign of his coming would be._

Oh good Lord, _she thought to herself. _I need to just listen and hope I can tell when Aemus is coming. Hopefully I'll be able to help both of them.

_Suddenly she heard the clacking of claws, which caused shivers to wrack up her spine. It was a terrible feeling. Fear stabbed itself into her heart, which was already very fragile due to the stress._

_"I've arrived," came the cold, menacing growl. "Fe, fi, fo, fum, I smell your blood, and now it is time I rip your hearts out! Welcome to the end!"_

_Aemus appeared suddenly right in front of Whirlwind. She saw Sonic Boom scream, and then there was the sound of gurgling. Looking over, Whirlwind found that Sonic Boom's throat had been slit. She felt terrible pain in her chest. Looking down, she found blood spilling out from a hole in the middle. As she collapsed and all went black, she saw Cynder's heart be ripped right out of her chest._

Whirlwind woke up and screamed. Camo shushed her and attempted to make her feel better. "It's okay," he said. "It's all okay."

"No, it's not," Whirlwind told her, sobbing. "I can't believe what I just saw. It was so terrible!"

"It's all right," he comforted. "I'm here, I'm still by your side. I will remain by your side until the very end." He hugged her close to him, hoping to make her feel much better. But it seemed to not work as well as he hoped. But he wasn't surprised. He knew that her visions were now tearing her apart, and knew she needed help. He wanted her to be safe. He wanted Cynder to be safe. And he decided right then and there that he wouldn't stop believing the both of them could be saved from the pain they were being forced to go through.


	9. Main Worries

**Chapter Nine: Main Worries**

Sonic Boom and Sunburn were wondering how much longer they would have to stay on their guard. They were very worried for Cynder now. Sonic Boom had paid at least ten visits to Cynder before she'd woken up. They knew now that she was with Spyro. But Sonic Boom wondered how much longer Cynder could take it without collapsing underneath all the pressure.

"I'm so scared for Cynder right now," Sonic Boom admitted to her mate. Sunburn turned to look at her, which allowed her to know that he was listening intently. "I've been thinking everything through. I want to know how we can keep her safe, but every single time I come up with a good way, it falls through, because I don't know just how cunning Aemus truly is. He's the worst enemy I think we've ever faced! As bad as Kaos and Malefor were, Aemus is a breed all his own!"

"I know," Sunburn told her. "I know how you mean. I've been thinking the same exact thing. There is one problem, however, that we haven't exactly realized. If you haven't noticed, every time we ask Cynder to run, she comes right back into the battle. I'm not trying to go against her, but I'm just saying. When Whirlwind was injured, Cynder came right back into the battle to save her, and as much as I value that, she got herself badly injured at the same time! I love Cynder as if she were my own sister, but I have to just say, that was a very stupid decision, Sonic Boom!"

"No, it wasn't!" Sonic Boom yelled at him defensively. "She did it because she has goodness in her heart! She couldn't stand to see Whirlwind be killed! Can't you see that, Sunburn?" Sunburn saw the tears in her emerald eyes. "Sunburn, I want you to realize that she's been doing all this for a reason! She doesn't do it just because she wants to get injured! She's doing it to keep us safe! And I know why! She feels responsible for what's happened. She feels deep remorse for all the crap that has transpired, from when she was taken by Malefor, to Kaos, and now. She just wants everything to end. She's trying to save us from an unimaginable fate, and while I want her to remain safe, I think she's trying to do what she can! Please, just see that!"

"I can see that!" Sunburn exclaimed. "I'm trying to tell you that we need to protect her more! I need you to stop trying to tell me that what she did was for the right reason! I want you to see that I understand that what she did was for the right reason! But I need her to stay behind on everything else! I need her to just stop what she's doing, and rest! Can't you understand what I'm saying?!"

Sonic Boom couldn't believe what she was now hearing. She felt as if she were ready to slap her own mate right then and there. But she held herself back. "Please, Sunburn, please realize that Cynder is doing what she can! She can't stop herself from getting into these battles, because she feels her responsibility for all that has transpired! She wants to stop Aemus so she can finally rest. Without our help, she won't be able to stop this monster. Please understand what I'm trying to say! I'm only trying to tell you what I completely believe in! I need you to understand me for once!"

Sunburn was taken aback by Sonic Boom telling him to listen to her "for once." When had he not listened to her before? "What are you meaning by that? I've always listened to you!" Sunburn told her seriously. "I've always listened to you, Sonic Boom! So don't you dare tell me that I've never listened to you!"

_But you haven't! _Sonic Boom wanted to say. _You haven't always listened to me! You've sometimes been completely on the other side! I love you so much, and I know how much you love me, but it seems I haven't been listened to in a long time! _But then suddenly something else came to her mind. She realized why he might not be listening to her at that moment. _He isn't listening to me because I kept the secret of Cynder leaving; he's not listening to me because I revealed that I knew what had happened to Cynder. I realize I was stupid to not reveal that to everyone so much earlier, but at that time, I couldn't reveal such information to them. I didn't know how they would react. Cynder didn't want me to tell them, either, and that's why I never revealed it to you, Sunburn. I respected Cynder too much. I love her like a sister. She _is _my sister. I had to keep that secret, no matter how much it hurt me. And now everything is coming up. Now everyone is beginning to know the truth behind all these secrets._

Finished thinking everything through, she tried to say something to Sunburn, but instead she just hung her head and became silent. She didn't know what she was supposed to be saying now. As much as she loved Sunburn, she couldn't bring herself to say anything more to him. For her, it all hurt way too much. She believed that if she opened her mouth again, he might possibly tell her to shut up or even slap her across the face. She didn't want that.

But Sunburn, who could tell what she was possibly thinking, was not thinking of doing either of those things. He loved her too much. He still had anger inside him for all that had happened, but he realized it was best he put all the anger behind him. He could tell he was scaring his own mate, and he wanted her to remain being his mate. He didn't want her to leave him any time soon.

"Sonic Boom, please, I'm sorry for all I've said," he told her. "I know you're only trying to stand up for her. You're only trying to stand up for Cynder, and I believe that's the right thing to do. I just don't know what I'm supposed to keep believing. I want Cynder to be safe, is all. We have to keep her safe, but what she's done recently is scaring me so much. I don't know what I would do if I lost such an amazing friend. I know you're probably thinking the same exact thing." He lifted Sonic Boom's head and kissed her. "I will remain by her side as long as I must do so. But I need her to promise that she won't go into another fight in such a way. It all scares me too much."

"It scares me too," Sonic Boom told him. "But I'm going to keep believing. I am going to keep believing that Cynder will get through all this, and the only way for her to do such a thing is to confront her demons. Aemus is the worst demon she's ever faced. Yes, there was Malefor, but he wasn't as hard for her to get through. Aemus has put up more of a fight than any of our enemies so far. He has an army that seems to never leave or completely die off, and that's something that puts chills down _my_ spine. I'm ready for this Hell to be over. I'm ready for Cynder to live her life normally. And we need to help her through that. She's going to continue living, and once all this is over, we'll be there still, watching her and loving her. She will be getting through this, but the only way for her to do so is for her to confront Aemus. I hope you realize that what I'm saying is true, Sunburn. I want Cynder to continue living through her life without any problems."

Sunburn smiled at her. "I agree with you now. I believe that what you're saying is right," he said. "But when another battle comes up, I'm going to make sure I'm not far from her. We need to keep our minds on Spyro, too, because he's the most worried of us all. I found him sobbing near the healing tent after the last battle with Aemus. He's obviously hurt mentally by this whole terrible event, and no one can blame him." He sighed. "It seems we've gone through all this before so many times, and I hope we never go through it ever again once this is over. I hope life will return to normal."

The both of them got into their bed, hoping to sleep peacefully for the rest of the night into the late morning. Once they woke, they would be paying a visit to Spyro and Cynder to help cheer them up. After all, that was what friends were for.

Sonic Boom closed her eyes and began to rest peacefully. But Sunburn felt he couldn't go to sleep just yet. He felt he needed to think everything through. So much had already happened, and he knew that soon a lot more would be happening. And it would be for better or for worse, something he hated. He wanted everything to be simple. That would not be happening anytime soon, however. Life was not something that would ever be simple, he knew. Life was something that everyone would have to go through, and as painful as everything was, as Sunburn believed, it was good to keep getting through it, because many good things would start coming up and showing through the unsightly cracks that sometimes massacred it.

_This will hopefully be the last phase of this battle with Aemus. Soon enough we will be able to go back to normal lives. Spyro and Cynder can sleep without trouble. Cynder can stop dealing with this hellish nightmare, and the Skylanders will be able to go a little while without having to fight. I'll be happy when that happens._

As he finally closed his eyes, he suddenly heard a tapping sound outside the treehouse. He groaned and got to his feet, hoping that he was being woken up for a very good reason. And when he let the shades fly up, he saw Camo standing there. He had dark circles under his eyes, which did not surprise Sunburn.

"Hey," greeted Sunburn. "What's going on?" He saw the sweat dripping off Camo's face. "What's happened? Does it have to do with Whirlwind?" He was suddenly very afraid.

"Yes," Camo said. "We were talking about Cynder, and Whirlwind told me about these visions she's been having. She told me that they were all real bad, and that in them, Cynder usually dies in them, and she just recently had one. According to her, she was with Sonic Boom and Cynder in this very cold place. She could hear Aemus's voice calling out to them. She saw Cynder, and Sonic Boom. According to her, Cynder was badly shivering and Sonic Boom had blood dripping from her nose. From what Whirlwind said, Sonic Boom had been beaten, and they were hiding from Aemus. Whirlwind said she heard Aemus was coming closer to them, and suddenly he appeared right there in front of them. He attacked them, and Whirlwind said that was where the vision ended, with all three of them dying." Camo took a hard swallow. "She said her chest was stabbed through, that Cynder had her heart ripped out of her chest, and…Sunburn, she said that Sonic Boom had her throat slit." Camo had tears running down his face. "Sunburn, I'm so freaking scared right now. I want Cynder to be safe, but I also want my mate to be safe, and I want Sonic Boom to be safe. This crap is taking us so darn long to finish! We're all so tired and wasted, and none of us can go anywhere without looking over our shoulders half the freaking time! What is it that we can do?"

Sunburn sighed and shook his head. "I don't know, Camo. We're in deep crap now, and as much as I hate it, I think more is in store for all of us. This will not be ending until Aemus is finally killed. But I do not know how we will be able to kill him. He's the most cunning villain we've seen. He can't be taken down without one of us getting injured. I hate this more than anything. I want to sleep for once without knowing that Aemus will be coming back to kill us! No, he's not coming back to kill just us! He's coming back to kill Cynder, and that's something we have to stop! I've gone through too much Hell already, and I'm sure everyone else has already. Cynder has nearly died three times thanks to Aemus! The first was his first appearace to all the Skylanders. The second was when she had that nightmare while swimming underwater. And the last time was the same time when Whirlwind was injured. Cynder has done so much for all of us, and to me, it seems we've done nothing to help her. We have so much power coursing through us, and yet, we haven't been able to come to her side and help to save her from that demonic creature! What in the name of God is the matter with us? She's given up so much to protect all those she loves, and this is how we repay her?"

Finished speaking on that part of the subject, Sunburn sat down on his haunches and stared at Camo. "I'm sorry if I've said so much, but I'm just so mad that all this is happening. It's tearing us all apart. When we want peace, we have some enemy who appears, taking it all with us and screwing it up. How do we get ourselves into this crap, Camo? Can you answer that for me?"

"No, I can't, and I know how you feel," he admitted to Sunburn. "I want Whirlwind to be my mate, but with all this crap happening, I'm not sure I even want her around here. I want her to be safe all the time, and I allowed her to be injured. It's thanks to Cynder that she's still alive, and yet Cynder was still hurt. There's one question that I've been asking myself for so freaking long, and that would be this: What in the name of God is this forsaken realm coming to? Can our lives become a normal utopia for once? Can we go through life without Hell coming right back for us?" He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "All that matters now is that we stop Aemus. Once that is done, Cynder will be free of her chains, and she and Spyro can live their lives in peace once more."

He looked around the treehouse and grimaced. "But maybe my hope is all too much to be hoping for. I can't keep believing in things that probably won't be happening. Anyway, I'm going to go to sleep, Sunburn. I hope you can sleep peacefully tonight." He looked behind him. "It seems that Sonic Boom got lucky. Anyway, goodnight." He waved and then turned around. However, just before he was about to climb down the ladder—the only way in which he could get down—Sunburn called him back for a moment.

"You shouldn't give up that hope," Sunburn told him. "Just because these things seem so darn bleak doesn't mean you have to give up hope. I know what it feels like to be that sort of a person, but that does not mean we have to stop believing. Life is full of many letdowns, unfortunately, but just because that happens doesn't mean we have to give everything up. I think that's how Spyro and Cynder do it. That's how they're able to continue on this strange and dangerous world. Now only we need to try that sort of a thing." He smiled. "Go get some sleep. It's the best thing for any of us to do." He looked over to Sonic Boom. "And fortunately, we both have someone to keep us company. So does Cynder. I think we know we'll be able to move on, because we have each other. We have friends, and we have those we love."

Camo smiled. "Thanks, Sunburn," he said. "I knew I could count on you. Night!" He began climbing down. Sunburn watched as he did so, trying to make sure he got to his treehouse without any trouble along the way. When Sunburn had made sure, he turned back to Sonic Boom and smiled at her.

She suddenly opened her emerald eyes. "You did well," she said.

"So you were listening?" Sunburn asked.

"It was kind of hard not to," she explained. "You and he both have those kind of voices that carry. Do you understand?" He nodded. "I understand what you were saying, and I trust you with everything you said. Now, how about you come back into bed so you can sleep? It's always hard to sleep without you, too."

Sunburn smiled and climbed back into his bed with Sonic Boom. He knew she would keep giving him peace. That was someting he believed they had in common with Spyro and Cynder. That was why they were the greatest friends with one another. They were able to know what the other was thinking. And that, Sunburn believed, was something they needed to have. That was how they would be able to help the other.

_So long as we have each other—I and Sonic Boom, Spyro and Cynder—as well as all our other friends, we will be able to continue on in life. We will be able to find a way to get through this. It is Cynder who needs the most help, and we will be able to do such a thing. I won't stop believing._


	10. Good and Bad

**Happy New Year, my friends! I hope many great things are in store for you!**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter Ten: Good and Bad<strong>

Spyro opened his eyes, wondering what he was supposed to be doing with his life. He looked over to Cynder and smiled. He knew she was the one part of his life he would never have second thoughts about. But the one thing he couldn't stop thinking about now was the fact that Aemus was still around, and that he was always ready to hurt his mate. He could not believe what Malefor had done to Cynder, how he'd corrupted her and given her an army. The only problem with such a thing happening was that those who were closest to Malefor, such as Aemus, was that they would know of Cynder's past, and because he knew of such a thing meant it was only a matter of time until he realized what had caused her disappearance.

_When he learned, _Spyro thought, _he must have become very angry, which is something that could have been prevented. But Aemus learned of Cynder's return to normal, and now all Hell has broken loose. _He stroked Cynder's cheek and felt hot tears in his eyes. _My own mate is in the worst danger, and some of this is all my fault. I returned her to normal and put her in the worst danger of her life. I'm so sorry, Cyn. This is all my fault. I love you, but it seems I keep putting you into so much danger. I'm so sorry, my love._

He saw her begin to stir. He smiled as she opened her beautiful sapphire eyes. She returned the smile when she saw him. "I feel so warm," she said lovingly. "But I'm still really tired."

"Don't worry," Spyro told her. "You'll be able to get some good sleep soon enough. I promise you that. But today, I think it's best we get to our feet and walk around the Ruins to see what we might be able to do. I feel like I just want to talk with you a little more. For some reason, doing it while we lie here in bed doesn't seem like the right place to do such a thing."

"I agree," Cynder said. "I understand. I've been wanting to talk with you more for a long time. But it seems like every time we want to talk more with one another, we're forced to deal with some sort of interruption." She released a deep gasp, as if she'd gone through some sort of pain, but she recovered herself and attempted to pretend that it had only been a throb from her still-broken leg. "Sorry, my leg has a little bit of pain right now." She continued using the fake smile.

"I know you're lying," he said. Then he smiled again. "But I'll let you slide. I know this is hard, but I promise you, we'll be getting through this. And we'll be getting through this together. I love you so much, Cynder." He hugged her close, and she sunggled into him. "Now, let's get out there and see what we can do. We might just be able to see some of our friends." He slowly got out of the bed and got himself ready. He soon found that Cynder was staring at him. He tracked her line of vision to his side and saw scars there. Kaos had given them to him. Spyro knew Cynder felt terrible about them. He wondered if she blamed herself for those, as well. He sincerely hoped not, knowing she had so much on her plate. "Cynder, please, don't be blaming yourself for these scars. They weren't your fault. You know they weren't."

"I know," she said. "But thanks to all we've been going through, I still feel as if I might be. It's hard, sometimes, you know?" Spyro nodded. "I feel as if a lot of things are as a result of what I might have done. I feel I've caused so much distress. I'm not going to stop believing that will stop, however. I believe I have the strength to continue on in life, and that nothing will stand in my way. But I just want to live life in peace." She sighed. "Let's get out there and see what we can do." She smiled, opened her wings, and flew off. "Come and catch me if you can, Spyro!"

Spyro smiled to himself, realizing she was going through her pain still, while seeing that she was starting to be able to manage everything. He smiled to himself and followed her. He found her soon near the Core of Light, where she was standing and smiling. The sun caught her eyes just right, which gave them a beautiful glow that drew Spyro in. He hugged her and kissed her intently.

"I'm so glad that we're able to do this," he whispered to her. "This is a moment that we can finally cherish with one another. Now let us hope that it never ends." They continued kissing, and when they broke apart, Cynder hugged him.

"I'm glad I have you in my life," she whispered back to him. "I don't regret you being a part of my life one bit."

"You know," Spyro said, "when I said you shouldn't blame yourself for my scars, there's something I must tell you. I blame myself even now for your broken leg. I blame myself for a lot of bad things that have happened in your life, to be honest. Life has brought so much trouble for us both, but I know we can get through it. I know we'll be able to find some way to return to living our normal lives. We'll find some specific way. You need to keep that clear in your mind, Cyn, because it's the truth. When trouble comes our way once more, we'll be ready for it. Yes, it'll probably take us by surprise, but that is not how I mean. I mean that when trouble comes, we won't be taken down by whoever is behind it. When Aemus comes back, I'm sure that this will be the last phase of this battle. We'll be able to take him down and then return to our normal lives. Yes, life has never really been normal, and our lives have definitely never been normal, but that's beside the point. We'rll find some way to get through our pain. I'll make sure to help you get through your pain. Never stop believing in that fact, Cynder. This is where all the good starts coming, I am sure of it." He smiled at her again, which she once more returned, and once more they were kissing quite intently.

Not far from them, Wrecking Ball and Slam Bam were walking by. They saw Spyro and Cynder kissing and disgusted expressions crossed their faces. "How is it that those two can still love each other after all the Hell she's been putting us through?" Slam Bam exclaimed. He was hoping that Spyro and Cynder did not hear them, because he was a little fearful of what Spyro might do to him if he said anything more toward her. But little did he know that Hex was floating right behind him, having heard what he'd said.

"I'd suggest you shut up," Hex told him. Slam Bam yelled out in deep fear and whirled around to see her. She formed a Phantom Orb in her palm. "I could just go ahead and take you out right now. Of course, I mean take you out of consciousness…or so I hope. You see, I don't know the true strength of my Phantom Orbs, unfortunately. So I'd suggest you both get the heck out of here before I take you both down." She smiled at them, which scared them both terribly. After they'd run away, Hex floated over to where Spyro and Cynder were still kissing. When they broke apart and saw her, they both smiled. Hex could see they hadn't noticed Slam Bam and Wrecking Ball, and so she decided not to mention them to her greatest friends. "I see you both are doing quite well."

"Yes," Cynder said. "I think I'm beginning to recover. How's everything been going with you, Hex?"

"It's been going fine, but I can't help but remain weary," Hex said. "I am sorry if I am bringing up such a subject, but it is a force of habit. I am sorry."

"Don't be," Spyro said. "We've all been weary, but I've decided for now that if we have nothing to worry about so far, we can just rest and wait for all the good things to come. Don't you agree?" He flashed a smile.

Hex smiled back. "You are right. I will join you both in this good day. Hopefully some more of our friends will be joining us."

"Don't worry," Cynder said. "I'm sure they'll be coming soon enough. But for now, I just want to be talking with the both of you. How long do you think it will be until we have our next celebration? I know that the last one didn't end as well as we hoped, but when we have the next one, let's have the time of our lives!"

Soon Sunburn and Sonic Boom appeared, smiling. When they saw that Spyro and Cynder were in good moods, they were in them too. The five friends continued speaking of good moments in their lives. They couldn't help but feel that nothing bad had ever happened to them. As Spyro watched Cynder, he noticed she did not have any trouble with what she was doing. He noticed she was being her normal self the whole day, which was something he loved. It was something he had missed. Ever since Aemus had come into their lives, everything had been screwed up. But now, it seemed everything was beginning to return to normal. But Spyro knew Aemus would soon be coming. He hated that fact very much, but believed that as long as he could defeat the demon and save his mate, that was all that mattered. He never wanted Cynder to feel any pain, and Aemus had brought much of it down on her. But soon, he believed, it would all be over. Soon he would be able to return to his life with the beautiful Black Dragoness he loved so very much.

He kicked back and thought to himself, _This is how our life should be. Everything was messed up by the arrival of Kaos and Malefor, and now Aemus. But I believe we can get through this. We should be able to get past this soon enough. Nothing will stop me in this quest to help the Black Dragoness I love recover from this ordeal. I'm not sure if it should be I who kills Aemus, or if it should be her, but all that matters is that it is almost all over. We're going to win, I am sure of it. When we take Aemus down, we'll be able to celebrate. Life will possibly become normal for the both of us, and that's exactly what I'm wishing, hoping, and believing for. If we can take down Aemus, then there will possibly never be anymore pain, sorrow, and suffering in Cynder's life. She's gone through too much to be worrying about what will happen when she wakes up in the morning. She shouldn't have to be afraid for the rest of her life because some monster is standing not far from her, ready to kill her. She's gone through too much already, and I'm not going to stand for it any longer. I love her too much for this to continue happening. I'm going to stop it, and nothing, not even the forces of darkness, will be able to stand in my way, that I know!_

But Spyro put all that aside and returned to what he was doing with Cynder. She was enjoying herself. As she opened her mouth to speak, she said, "How is everything going with you guys?" She was speaking toward Sonic Boom and Sunburn. "I just want to know, because, as you know, everything's been a little hard on us, if you know what I'm saying."

"Everything's fine," Sunburn told her. "We're just tired right now. We didn't get too much sleep, because we think someone might have been making a little too much noise last night. We don't know who that was, but it doesn't matter. We'll most likely be able to enjoy a lot of sleep tonight, just as you guys will, I'm sure of it. Now, Spyro, do you mind if I speak to you for a moment?"

Spyro nodded and followed Sunburn as they walked away from Cynder, Sonic Boom, and Hex. "I need to talk to you about something, and normally, I would not say a word of this to anyone, but I'm sure he will allow me to do so," Sunburn explained. "It has to do with Camo and Whirlwind. Something happened to them last night."

"What do you mean?" Spyro asked. "What happened? Did it have something to do with Aemus or something like that?"

"In a way, yes," Sunburn said. "But it's a little worse than that. Last night Sonic Boom and I were talking about Cynder and Aemus. When we were finished, Sonic Boom and I decided to sleep. But then I heard a knocking near the balcony. When I took a look to see who it could be, I found Camo. He seemed really worried for some reason, and when I asked him what was bothering him, he replied to me that Whirlwind had this vision about Cynder. She wasn't the only one in the vision, however. Whirlwind was there, and so was Sonic Boom. In the vision, they were in this cold place. Whirlwind said she could hear Aemus's voice speaking out to them, and Sonic Boom seemed to have been beaten. Cynder was badly shivering, too. According to what I heard, the vision ended with all three of them dying. Sonic Boom had her throat slit, Whirlwind had her chest ripped open, and according to what he said, Cynder's heart was ripped out of her chest." He took a deep swallow and looked back at Cynder, Sonic Boom, and Hex. "I think that's why Camo and Whirlwind aren't here right now. Sonic Boom actually heard him tell me this, but I'm not sure what she feels about it. I'm scared for all three of them. I don't have someone I am most scared for, because Cynder is the one going through the most, and Sonic Boom is my mate…but the thing is, I don't know what we're going to do! I want to keep them safe, but it seems that it's so hard to do so all the freaking time! What can we do that will protect all three of them without anyone else getting hurt?"

"I don't know," Spyro said. He looked behind Sunburn and saw Cynder. "I love her so much. I want to keep protecting her until the end of time. But it's so hard. This world keeps falling down around her, and that is something I don't want in her life. She deserves a normal life, without any pain or suffering. I believe that might come one of these days, but I'm not sure when, and I'm not sure how. All we can do is just keep praying and believing. But for now, we need to keep this a secret from Cynder. I'm not sure how she would take this if she found out. She takes things so hard now, and that's such a terrible thing." He sighed. "For now, let's get back to being with them. I'm sure that vision won't be happening, but we need to stay on our toes. I can't allow my mate to be injured anymore. I'll protect her until my last breath."

"To be honest, that won't be easy, Spyro," Sunburn admitted to him. "That's something no one can really do. It's too hard for everyone to do such a thing. For some reason, life isn't fair with us. We're going to have to continue praying and believing, like you said. I want everyone to be protected. I want Sonic Boom, you, Hex, Camo, Whirlwind, Cynder…I want all of you to be protected, because I think of all of you as my brothers and sisters. Sonic Boom is my mate, and so you understand my concern when it comes to me wanting to protect her so much. We can't tell any of them about the vision, because we don't know how they would react to such a thing. The only problem we face is how they would react if they ever learn of it."

"They won't learn of it," Spyro told him seriously. "We can make sure of that. Now come on. Let's get back to them. They're probably wondering what we're talking about to begin with. Let's not make them wait any longer."

At the same time, Cynder was listening to a joke Sonic Boom was telling. When she heard the whole thing, she began laughing hard, loving the moment she was having. She hoped this moment never ended. She decided right then and there that she would keep the moment in her memory until the end of her years. She believed that when this day was over, she would replay it in her mind whenever she faced another dark hour just so that she could remember what it was like to feel warm and to be able to cherish her friendship with everyone she loved. Although some of her friends were not there, she did not blame them. She guessed they were asleep, which she believed they deserved.

_My life is so great right now, _Cynder thought. _I have the greatest friends in the world. I've thought that I need more sometimes, but I believe that at this moment, I've got all the friends I need. I will cherish this moment for the rest of my life. No one will ever be able to end it, not even Aemus. While demons can hurt others, there are times when they cannot come anywhere near you. He's nowhere near me, and that is something that I love more than ever._

She observed her surroundings, noticing how everything was so beautiful. She saw Sonic Boom, who was speaking to her. Cynder listened to every word she said as she observed everything else around her. She felt Spyro place a paw on her shoulder and draw her close, something she loved more than ever. She saw Sunburn hug Sonic Boom. Hex floated there, watching them and smiling. She saw that Flashwing and Drobot were coming toward them, with Trigger Happy and Gill Grunt not too far behind. Cynder saw the beautiful green grass, suddenly noticing how it was becoming brown and dying. She looked in front of her, still smiling, and saw Aemus, an evil smile across his face.


End file.
